all your hidden faces
by Carmilla DeWinter
Summary: It turns out that getting Starscream to move in with him was the easy part. Slash StarscreamxPrime and a direct continuation of 'two worlds apart, two together'.
1. Part 1

Disclaimer: Not mine.

Usual caveats: I'm German. Please bother to correct me if I messed up grammar or anything else.

NB: the entire continuity goes off-canon shortly after 'Enter the Nightbird', so no Protectobots and no Aerialbots. Red Alert is actually a stretch, but he's too much of an institution to be left out.

Notes: this begins approximately 5 seconds after "two worlds apart, two together" leaves off. You might want to read that story before you delve into this little monster. I actually considered just adding this as chapters three to n to "worlds apart", however, it's rather different style-wise, so it felt wrong.

I've come to call this a little monster because it started with a reader's comment on the phrase 'betrothed', kinda got out of hand, (much like Audrey II) and ate a lot more time and hard drive space than I expected

That said, I'd like to thank everybody who left a comment and/or favorited 'worlds apart'.

Title once again by Sisters Of Mercy.

Oh, yes, for everyone who ignored the summary: This be slash, so don't read if the idea squicks you out.

* * *

all your hidden faces

1

"So," Optimus said and opened the door for them. "These are my… our quarters."

Ah. Starscream was supposed to move in with Prime? Just like that? It had been ages since he had shared living space with anyone, and he'd hated it back then; how they always seemed to need or want something and how they always smothered him with their mere presence. Even at the thought he felt his wings hitch.

"After you," Optimus said.

Starscream slipped past him and tried to keep the unease under a lid. It couldn't hurt to inspect the place.

He found himself in a living area, desk and computer access in a niche, couch, low table, small entertainment center, energon dispenser. Nice. Captain's quarters of any large cruiser, and much better than officer's quarters on the Nemesis. Better than Megatron's quarters, too.

"In there are the washracks," Prime pointed to a door to the left, "and in there is the bedroom." Door to the right.

Starscream nodded and went to peek in both rooms. The berth was large, it could fit both of them easily. A few personal knickknacks on a shelf to know someone actually lived in this place.

"Hmm. What is in there?" There was another door to the left.

"Just a guestroom."

Oh? Starscream moved over to have a look.

It wasn't too big, just a berth, a few empty shelves and a desk with computer access. More a room for a sparkling than a guest room, but he wouldn't tell Optimus that just yet. Better than having his own quarters and providing cause for rumor whether he'd spent or not spent the night. "It will do."

"What?"

The confusion was palpable, and Starscream turned to look at Optimus levelly, willing him to understand.

It took a while, and the part that was Optimus clawed for hints. "Oh." Someone was actually offended.

"I sometimes do require some privacy," Starscream snapped and used his newly appointed room to have just that. How dare he.

"Starscream?" The voice was slightly muffled by the door. "Please. I'm sorry."

And he was, the bond said so. Totally crestfallen, and maybe Starscream had overreacted. It wasn't even a sparkbond, sometimes it didn't transmit at all, and Prime couldn't read minds. That bond was effectively refusing to let Starscream pout, made him want to fix things.

Starscream opened the door and stood in the doorway. "You see what I mean?"

"Yes." There was a gentle smile, and it wasn't covered by the mask. "Thank you."

"Whatever."

"If you want some time to settle in…?"

"I'm not a human, Optimus. I don't have any luggage I could unpack."

Now he was confused.

Starscream owned exactly three things. A picture of Skyfire and himself, which for some reason he had never been able to destroy, an oddly shaped, red crystal that was once decorating his office desk (a good luck charm Skywarp had found for him before he left Vos for the Academy), and a polishing cloth. Everything else once in his possession was either on Cybertron, aboard an abandoned vessel drifting around somewhere in space, or on the Nemesis.

There was nothing left he'd leave lying around anywhere.

"I'm sorry," Optimus said eventually. "I wasn't thinking. If you need anything, tell me, and I'll try to get it for you."

Nodding his thanks, Starscream squeezed past Optimus, and was held up with a feather light touch on his arm. He stopped to meet Optimus's intent gaze, and something inside him melted.

This was why he had come here, after all.

Expelling some air from his vents, he moved in closer and let himself be kissed, slowly and luxuriously, giving them time to explore.

Before the heat could build up, Optimus withdrew. "There are some things we need to talk about."

Unfortunately, yes. Starscream let out another sigh and tilted his head, asking Optimus to begin.

"Sit with me."

Stalling? Starscream followed Optimus to the couch, but went to straddle his lap. He didn't particularly like back rests. It took Optimus a few moments to get over his surprise at the arrangement, but it was definitely worth it. Keeping Prime off kilter was something he'd effectively been asked to do by the mech himself.

Eventually, Optimus' hands settled on Starscream's hips, lightly, like a pair of birds that expected to be startled any moment.

"What did you want to talk to me about?", Starscream reminded Optimus of what they were supposedly doing.

"About this bond we share… it could be broken, if you'd like to. I'm sorry. I should have known better than invading your privacy like that."

That was the apology he'd been waiting for. "I don't particularly mind it." Not quite a lie. It was comforting, in one way, and it was extremely gratifying in another. It didn't leave him guessing like Skyfire had. "What is it, anyway?"

"It's called an encoding. It's more a specialized, secret comm. channel than a true bond. That's why you can shut off the receiving but not the transmitting or vice versa."

And it explained why a separation wasn't quite as crippling as with a sparkbond. Starscream nodded his understanding. "You have some material on this?"

"Borrowed without asking from Ratchet."

"Tssk," but he couldn't hide his grin. Prime rule breaking. Who would have thought.

Optimus gave an embarrassed little smile of his own. "Second," he started. "Everyone will expect us to be sparkbonded once we emerge from out here."

Starscream nodded again. "I'll try to act reasonably love struck, then."

"It's not that. I hate lying to them."

"We are bonded. Only it's not a sparkbond."

"But it's what 'betrothed' implies."

"I won't sparkbond with you just because you have a bad conscience."

"I didn't…," he was crestfallen again, and there was this look in his eyes, as if he were a kicked sparkling. "This is not a roundabout way of making you agree. I…," the hands on Starscream's hips tightened and relaxed their grip once. "Just some sympathy, perhaps?"

"Hmm." It sounded more like he wanted absolution than sympathy. Starscream leaned in for a short kiss. "That tactician of yours does know what's going on, right?"

"Not everything. But he suspects."

"So talk to him," though he didn't like the thought of Optimus confiding in anyone else. "He'll tell you it won't make a difference whether they know or don't know. We are bonded, and it's not their business how or when we went about it."

"Thanks."

It sounded so honest, it made Starscream lean back a little. He definitely didn't deserve that. "Whatever. Was there anything else?"

"I'll go out and face the cavalry in the morning. I think it's wise if you stayed here until the worst is over. And… you can't always stay here or tag along with me."

"I know… I need to have a talk with Skyfire." And he dreaded it more than anything, but the shuttle was a potential ally.

"Good," said Optimus, though he sounded hesitant. He'd probably felt the trepidation. "I'll send him over as soon as I see him."

"You mean I can invite him here?"

"_Mi casa es su casa__,_" Optimus said. "These are our quarters. You are not a guest here."

Good. Though there was some unrest in the region of his fuel tank, as if he only now realized what he'd gotten himself into. This was a permanent arrangement. Speaking of which. "I'll need to refuel soon."

Optimus blinked at him for the non sequitur. "You don't have to ask, but I do have something that I've wanted to share."

Getting the hint, Starscream climbed off, and waited for Optimus as he rummaged around a closet under the screen in the wall and found some cubes and a flask of glowing high grade. A half full cube was eventually presented to him, and Starscream sipped at it carefully. He and high grade didn't mix very well. Some construction error, probably.

They sat down, Starscream on an armrest and Optimus reclining, both appreciating the energon. Occasionally, their optics would meet, they'd trade a small smile, and then both would look away quickly, starting the game anew.

It was a long time since Starscream had flirted that way, and surely never with someone who was already his. (Though there had only ever been Skyfire.)

And yet, it was a nice way to let the anticipation built up.

Eventually, the high grade was gone, Optimus collected the cube and returned everything to its rightful place, and then he stood in front of Starscream and looked at him with his inscrutable face.

There was no warning through the bond as Optimus bent down and just picked Starscream up, groaning a little from the effort.

"Let me down." The high grade made his world spin, and Optimus's rather precarious grip wasn't doing his fuel tanks much good.

"No."

And so he was carried to the bedroom door, where things got a little awkward until Prime managed to hit the button with an elbow. A few rather awkward steps more, and Starscream was deposited on the berth, and it hurt his aft because Prime really wasn't as slow in doing it as he should have been.

"Were you trying to be romantic?" Starscream glowered at him.

"I failed, I know. However." He came closer and closer and pushed Starscream back. "I do like the outcome."

Oh, nonono, he'd sure get crushed, and Optimus hesitated. "What happened?"

Starscream lifted his head. "It was an accident, really. Not something you would accomplish." Prime wasn't big enough to be in that particular kind of accident and definitely not heavy enough to put dents into the wings. No reason to refuse him a bit of pleasure.

"Good. Are you sure?"

Strascream nodded past the apprehension, and lay back down. Someone had painted the ceiling a light blue.

"You're not," Optimus stated very calmly, and there was a small pang of regret somewhere. "Besides, your wings are in the way. Sit against the wall for me, please?"

Starscream scooted back, feeling rather surreal. Everyone else would have insisted he just take it. Might have made a show of listening and agreeing and then promising to make it worth it and to stop when he asked for it… but wouldn't have entirely given up on the concept.

"I'm not everyone else," Optimus said. "And I do want to make it worth your while. Which I can't do if you detach yourself like that." He made a little shooing motion for Starscream to go on make himself comfortable.

And only then did he move in to straddle Starscream's hips and nip his way along his jawline until Starscream complied and tilted his head back and then Starscream forgot that he had wanted to retaliate, hands hanging on to Optimus's head for dear life, because it felt so, so good, as that warm mouth found every gap in the soft plating and moved it to get to the cables running directly underneath, sending little shivers into his core until he thought he would explode, and it was making his dataports itch and he whimpered, actually whimpered when Optimus moved on, further down, replacing his mouth with his hands, firm thumbs down the rim of his cockpit, up his flanks, tickling the dataports, and then on his wings, lingering on the flaps, rubbing just so.

"Please…"

"Please what?" Optimus nearly growled into his audio.

To stop teasing make it end and more please.

"Just let go…," crooned Optimus.

Hands back to his shoulder vents and then the mouth again, glossa tracing the inside and teeth nibbling the rim and oh why had no one ever thought to do that before. Mouth moving to the other vent, "let go…", fingers tracing the dataports and massaging and stroking and pinching and sweet merciful release, static turning his sight into blue arcs and making him groan and cling to Optimus as he shuddered.

Maybe Optimus groaned, too.

Reality returned slowly, he'd never thought anyone could do that to him without interfacing.

"Hmm," Optimus said. "And you took me right along, too. Such a bond does have its perks." Slowly, he disengaged Starscream's hands and arranged the both of them the usual way, Starscream on top because of the wings, and Optimus tracing random patterns on his helm.

There was a deep, warm feeling emanating from Optimus, and Starscream drifted into recharge to it, feeling safer than he'd ever felt before.


	2. Part 2

2

Prime emerged from his quarters later than usual – Starscream had followed him to the washracks and proven to be a distraction – to find Prowl leaning on the wall in the corridor, arms crossed and looking rather impatient.

"Good morning," Prime said mildly.

"Morning," Prowl said. "We need to talk."

"I was just about to go looking for you. My office?"

Prowl motioned for him to lead the way. It proved to be quite a trek, meeting several Autobots in the hallways who didn't seem quite able to look him in the optics. Arriving at the office and being able to close the door was a small mercy.

Prime offered a chair before drawing up his from behind the desk. It was an old ritual, telling Prowl he could be candid and criticize all he wanted.

Nodding his appreciation at the gesture, Prowl leaned forward to rest his forearms on his thighs. "I don't have to tell you you've thoroughly disturbed everyone."

"I noticed. I had a plan to go to the rec. room and talk to them. Not talk _at_ them," he added, as Prowl made a face.

"Good. Just, what is he to you? You call him your betrothed," and Prime knew well enough that this was a private thing, something rarely made public, and surely nothing you'd tell your subordinates about, "but you're not acting it. When Starscream left, I thought for a few hours that you were bonded already. You were so sure he'd return. But you weren't affected enough, you should have been pining more."

Prime nodded. "It's called encoding."

"You were already coded to him when he left."

Prime nodded and dry washed his face with one hand. No surprise that Prowl actually knew about it. "It was a bit of an accident."

Prowl made a small noise, but refrained from further judgment. "I supposed you two aren't that unhappy with the outcome," he just said.

"No." He wasn't exactly happy, either, not with the task set before him, but there was a deep rooted joy that took hold of him every time he thought about the beautiful mech recharging in his quarters.

"What are you going to tell everyone else?"

"I'm not sure. Letting everyone believe we are sparkbonded should prove easiest in the short run."

"But?" Prowl prompted.

"First, I'm not entirely comfortable with lying to anyone about this. Second, it might make Starscream even more of a target to Megatron than he already is. On the other hand, I'm afraid someone might demand him gone if they learn it's reversible."

Prowl nodded and assumed a thinking position. "You can't pretend you're not bonded in some way. Everyone here has seen bonded couples at work, and you won't be able to hide it." There was a short pause. "Also, it would be extremely unwise to let Starscream out of the Ark unaccompanied, much less take him along for a battle, bonded or not." Another pause. "And people will treat him better if they know they won't get rid of him that easily, you're right. It's probably wiser to keep up the pretense that you're actually sparkbonded."

"Thank you." Starscream had been right. It was probably a good thing that he wasn't awake to gloat.

"You're quite welcome."

"I'll go face the inquisition, then."

xxx

His brave words notwithstanding, he first went to Wheeljack's lab, where he knew the scientists to be busy fiddling about with Starscream's null ray, other weapon systems and parts of his radio.

They stopped poking at whatever it was and turned to face him.

"Morning, Prime, sir," Wheeljack said brightly, sounding a little forced, with matching echoes from Skyfire and Perceptor. "We figured you'd come here sooner or later, so we put the null ray back together."

"Thank you. But it's not why I'm here."

"No?"

"No. Skyfire, Starscream expressed a wish to talk to you. Considering the current situation, I don't want him wandering about the Ark alone." This was difficult, knowing that this was the mech who'd treated Starscream so cavalierly. "Would you go meet him in our quarters whenever you feel ready to?"

Skyfire looked down at him, face inscrutable. "I will," he said eventually.

"Thank you. I know this is going to be difficult."

A curt nod from Skyfire.

"He could've asked himself," Wheeljack said, sounding both puzzled and vaguely disdainful.

"First, he hasn't refueled or recharged properly since he left here, so I want him to rest. Second, once I track down Red Alert and manage to get access codes for him, he will be able to. And don't forget you have half of his radio here."

"Right."

"If you have anything to say to me, do so. I might actually be willing to answer some questions."

Wheeljack's indicators flashed his surprise, while Perceptor seemed disinterested. But then, Perceptor was the last 'bot to be concerned by rumors and partake in gossip of any kind.

"Takes some getting used to, is all," Wheeljack said.

Prime just looked at him, hoping he would be honest.

"Besides, here's a ship full of 'bots to choose from."

Ah. It was a good thing Prime knew Wheeljack and Ratchet had had a thing going on for longer than anyone could remember, otherwise he would have actually panicked at the prospect. Begged the question of who Wheeljack knew to be infatuated with him. It wasn't a subject Prime was keen on pondering.

"Half of you are involved in some way or another, and there's a reason why the rest are single," he tried to explain. "And while I know each of you would feel honored if I approached you, that's hardly a foundation for a stable relationship. I'd still be alone if Starscream hadn't decided to pursue me."

"He went after you?" More surprise from Wheeljack, and by now, Perceptor was actually listening in.

"I know, the audacity. He does have more courage than he likes to think he has, and it's certainly more courage than that person you're alluding to showed."

Wheeljack actually flinched. One of his creations, maybe. Ergo, too young and therefore totally out of the question even if they'd tried to flirt with him.

"I'm sorry. But the subject of who it's going to be isn't open for discussion anymore."

"We noticed," Wheeljack said, sounding still far too belligerent. "I assume he's going to want to work here?"

"He does. He's not the type to sit around idly." Prime shook his head. "He's also not the easiest mech to get along with."

Wheeljack tilted his head, and it looked like he had caught the implied request. "Sure."

"Good. Thank you for your honesty. I'm going to see Ratchet now." He bid them a good day and left for the repair bay.

xxx

"About time you turned up," Ratchet groused at Prime as soon as he was through the doorway. "I need to make new baseline readings."

"About that… there's a few things I'd like to discuss with you." Prime glanced around, but Swoop was wonderfully absent.

"Ah. Sit. You should have brought Starscream, if something about the bond is bothering you."

Prime complied and sat on the next examination table. "It's not that. I read somewhere that it's possible to tell whether a mech is sparkbonded?"

"If you have previous readings of the spark energy, yes. That's why I need your new baseline."

"Then I probably should tell you that I'm not actually sparkbonded to Starscream."

"No? I supposed you would have done the deed by now."

It was refreshing to have someone not treat him any differently. "It's too risky. We went through a process called encoding."

Ratchet nodded. "That's why all my bookfiles on the subject are missing?"

"Yes. I would have given them back already, but Starscream wanted an in depth look at the mechanics of it."

"Well. It's good you took them without asking, because if you'd told me it was going to be Starscream, I would have hit you over the head."

"Nice to see you have faith in my decisions." Prime crossed his arms.

"Hah. You do remember what he's like on the battlefield. And you've seen Megatron abuse him. That Seeker has issues."

For a moment, Prime listened to the bond, but Starscream was still recharging soundly. "I know. He…," Prime searched for an explanation, as far as he had gathered one. "It's as if he believes he's a hoax, and that one day everyone will realize how pathetic he is and that he's bluffed his way to his position."

Ratchet made a face. "Good luck putting up with that."

"Thank you so very much."

"Look, Optimus." Ratchet hopped onto the next table. "If you ever run into problems, you come to me, right? From what you've told me, and from what I know about him, he sounds like an abuse case. He'll always think he deserves it, no matter what you do, and it's sometimes hard not to exploit such an attitude."

Prime nodded, remembering his bonded mate trembling with fear the night before, not daring to refuse. It had been Starscream submitting, something Prime had never wanted, and without the bond, he probably would have bought the brave face and would have continued the abuse Starscream was trying to escape and the thought made him want to empty his tanks. "I actually want to help him."

"Hrrm. It's not easy, though it'll probably help that you two share a connection. He probably should be seeing Smokescreen…"

As if. "I don't think he's ready to trust any of you with something like that."

Ratchet made a face. "Thought so. So, until he's ready to actually seek help, there's some basic advice for you. You will never ever wheedle, coax, argue or pressure him into anything. If he says no, you'll just have to accept it, because if he thinks it'll get him approval, he'll be ready to let himself be talked into just about anything."

"He's my bondmate, I can feel when something is bothering him. I won't make him do anything that he hates."

Ratchet harrumphed again. "You make good on that attitude, otherwise we'll have one hell of a problem at hand."

Prime nodded. "Thank you." It was good to hear something like that explained instead of having only his muddled thoughts on the matter to rely on. And it was good that the bond told Prime that Starscream actually liked their connection, otherwise he would have been a puddle of guilt by now. "Anyway, how is Red Alert? I dare say he graced one of these tables yesterday?"

Red Alert had been there and was back on duty now, so Prime made a beeline for the security director's office.

The reaction from his soldiers hadn't gotten any better in the past hour. The idea of facing all of them at the same time was becoming less and less appealing. Better work on each or small groups separately.

"Good morning, Prime," Red Alert said. "It's good that you came. There's something I wanted to talk to you about."

"That makes two of us. May I?" Prime indicated a free chair.

"Please." Red Alert shifted his weight slightly as Prime sat. "Since we now have a Decepticon in your quarters, I need a camera there."

"Excuse me?"

Red Alert stared at him in confusion. "Starscream. He is a Decepticon, and a rather high security risk."

"There are no, and there will never be any cameras in private quarters. We've discussed that before." It had been the twins, back then.

"But, sir…"

"No buts." Prime leaned a little towards Red Alert, and the mech had the decency to duck back and look slightly cowed. "In case it escaped your notice, you are talking about my bondmate. Don't you think I would be able to tell if he wanted to betray me in any way, shape, or form?"

"Um, Prime, sir. I know how a bond works and it's entirely possible you would betray us for him. With all due respect."

Prime forced himself to be calm. It was Red Alert, and Red Alert was a little… odd. But he was a good security director. "It's nice to see you so concerned, really." And if he said it often enough, he might believe it. "If you ever notice something off about myself or Starscream, go to Prowl or Ratchet, please. And me entering a bond with a _former_ Decepticon doesn't count."

Red Alert nodded, looking a little dazed. Poor thing.

"It is entirely likely that Starscream will get his radio and weapons back, some day soon. There's no reason to keep him defenseless, since he is not a prisoner."

"I… yes, sir. I'll try to ignore it."

"That's all I can ask."

xxx

Around noon, after Prime had retreated from the stares to his office, he felt Starscream waking.

_Hey there, sleepyhead,_ he sent, and got a pout in response.

_You make it sound as if I'm cute._

_You _are_ cute, love._

He felt Starscream still, not quite believing what he'd heard.

Shaking his head, Prime got up. This needed some personal attention. He should have known something went wrong when he hadn't gotten a reaction last night.

Starscream was sitting on the berth, legs crossed and staring at nothing until Prime entered, offering a confused little frown as greeting.

Sighing, Prime retracted his mask, sat down next to Starscream and leaned in to give him a very short peck on the cheek. "Until a breem ago, I was under the impression that I told you already last night."

Starscream's frown deepened.

"I sent it via the bond, and you obviously didn't hear it." It was harder to say it out loud and when the lights were at 100. "I love you."

Starscream blinked and then resumed looking at him, searching. There was such an abyss inside Star, telling him it couldn't be true and that Prime must be deluding himself and nobody had ever told him that before, how come he rated such a declaration now.

Prime sighed anew and carefully reached out to hold Starscream close, opening the bond as wide as he could, letting his beloved feel what he felt.

"They are all idiots," he said out loud. "Skyfire especially. With all I know about you, I always wonder how strong you are, to let me see you like this."

A small protest, he wasn't strong, but Prime silenced it - it needed strength to show weakness - and Starscream just sat there, face buried in the crook of Prime's neck, and basked.

Wanting a reaction other than this was entirely too early and selfish and inconsiderate, so Prime just kept that wish to himself. It felt nice to be needed thus, but he kept that, too, private. He wanted Starscream to be strong, not codependent just because Prime liked being needed.

Starscream disentangled himself a few breems later. "I'm sorry," he mumbled. "You probably have more important things to do."

Personal didn't always equal important, that much was correct, and a good officer knew that. There was no sense in lying about it. "It was just paperwork. Besides, I needed this, too."

"They give you a hard time?" Starscream's optics were slightly narrowed, and behind them, anger was gearing up on Prime's behalf.

"A little. As far as I know, I'm the first Prime with an official bondmate. And, let's say, my choice is a little controversial."

Starscream scoffed. "And here I thought at least one 'bot would suspect political reasoning behind all this."

The thought wasn't so far fetched. "Prowl wasn't that forthcoming. He essentially agreed with your assessment, but we didn't speak further. Once I had a chance to talk to all of the officers, I'd like you to be in a strategy meeting."

Starscream nodded his agreement, and there was the slightest hint of pride trickling over the bond; Prime really thought he could contribute.

Squeezing Starscream's hand once, Prime stood up. "Duty calls, I'm afraid. Jazz and Ironhide should be back from their patrols, and I shouldn't put this off. See you tonight."

Starscream actually clambered off the berth for a brief kiss. "See you," and his voice was hoarse with promise.

There was nothing Prime would have liked better than to stay, but it wasn't done, and so he left, Starscream's gaze in his back.

xxx

Seeing no reason to disturb either mech's meal, Prime lurked in the corridor outside Ironhide's office for a while, until the weapons specialist came trudging around the corner with a scowl so pronounced it looked like it would leave permanent lines.

"Prime," he drawled. "Wouldn't have expected you to make it out of your quarters today."

"Really. It's nice that at least one 'bot remembers there are jokes for an occasion like this."

Ironhide harrumphed and palmed the door of his office open. "C'mon in."

Prime followed, but wasn't offered a chair.

Ironhide leaned against his desk, head tilted in suspicion. "What did he do to you, Optimus?"

Huh?

"Yer supposedly bonded to your second worst enemy. What kinda slag did he tell you so you'd agree to it?"

Ah. Prime cycled air for a moment and tried not to look as offended as he felt. "Actually, it was I who asked, and forgive me if I believe I managed to talk some sense into him."

"That Decepticon and sense? Yer joking."

It stung, even though Starscream wasn't listening in. "If you ever get past the point where all you can do is throw insults at me, let me know. I'll talk to you then."

And he left, before he could say something he'd regret later. He should have expected a reaction like this, but something inside him made him tremble and made him want to shake Ironhide and demand he listen to him.

Prime shook his head, trying to calm himself and went to find Jazz. It was comparatively easy, considering the strands of music pouring out of his office.

It was tuned down at Prime's knock, and Jazz called for him to enter.

"Yo, boss-bot. I should have known you'd turn up sooner or later." He waved a stylus at the visitor chair and Prime took the invitation.

"And I'm sure Prowl gave you a heads up."

"He wouldn't have been able not to. So… congrats in order or should I wait until all of the guys have wrapped their CPUs about it?"

"You'd have to exercise a lot of patience for that."

"Yeah. They don't appreciate what a fine catch you made there."

"I did?" Prime leaned in a little despite himself.

"Well, he's gorgeous." Jazz leered. "That's the obvious part. The intelligence department has quite a lot of stuff on him. I'll just give you the gist of it, right?"

Prime nodded.

"So, the Screamer… he can be pretty slagging brilliant if he sets his mind to it. He's the best second Megs could have wanted, but the fragger didn't appreciate it." Jazz adopted a more sober tone. "You better see to it that you're not making the same mistake. All the evidence points to it that the mech doesn't mind being someone's second as long as the CO acknowledges his work."

Jazz tapped the table top for a moment. "There was some speculation he's suffering from a post traumatic stress disorder, but I think that's too easy. He's got some issues, that much is evident, but not the obvious kind."

"The way you describe it, it's a pretty ambiguous catch."

"Ain't we all?" Jazz grinned. "Actually, he's the default Decepticon leader, and there might be a ways to exploit that. Using marriage for politics is an old human custom, and some were pretty successful with it."

"Would you be surprised that Starscream thought you or Prowl might bring up this angle?"

"Nope. I said he was intelligent, didn't I?"

The rest of the afternoon was surprisingly easy to bear after that.

xxx

The last occasion that had a day stretch into near infinity had been when Starscream sat in the Ark's brig. After Optimus left, Starscream purposely drew out his refueling, then took to the medical texts Optimus had left lying on his desk.

There were some bonuses to this encoding he couldn't use because the Autobots had taken every non-integral part of his radio and were doing Primus-knew-what with it. Currently, the bond was acting far too random, thanks to this deficit, or perhaps because the meddling had caused a short circuit somewhere. He hadn't gotten anything from Optimus the whole afternoon, and it didn't feel like a conscious clamp.

He'd looked through everything twice and was just searching Optimus's bookshelf for something interesting when the door chime rang. It was a nice sound, if totally free of personality, much like the bells the humans liked so, and very much unlike the angry buzz the Nemesis offered.

That had to be Skyfire.

Forcing his vents to work at normal capacity, Starscream walked to the door and opened it. He'd been right. Skyfire was looking down at him with a small frown.

"Hi," Starscream said, and hated how squeaky he sounded.

"Optimus said you wanted to see me?"

"That's right." He took a cautious step backwards. "Why don't you come in. Have a seat."

Skyfire complied and ducked inside, taking in the surroundings. There probably weren't any other three room apartments on this ship.

Again, Starscream took the armrest.

"He didn't make you do it, did he?" Skyfire suddenly blurted.

Starscream blinked. "Excuse me?"

"I… I know I don't have any right to be worried, but I know you. I just have to know he didn't manipulate you in some way."

It was odd that Skyfire should worry about him after all their disagreements. "He didn't. He's not that kind of mech. I'm here entirely of my own volition."

"Good." Skyfire nodded. "Why him, though?"

"Jealous?"

"No... Maybe."

At least he was somewhat honest. "I've been meeting with him ever since before we dug you out of the ice."

"He said it was your idea."

"It was. Megatron was… incapacitated for a while, and I started flirting. He was being rather susceptible." And the rest was history. Starscream allowed himself a smug grin.

Skyfire nodded. "That's why you never tried to resume things?"

"No. Even if Megatron couldn't have cared less, I wouldn't have." He really, really didn't want to talk about this, but if he ever wanted to go near the science department, he'd have to. He picked at the couch's memory foam. "I always felt as if you were doing me a favor by being with me."

"I- what?" Well, obviously it hadn't been. That wide eyed surprise was as honest as it could get. "That's not true. I was fully prepared to ask you for a bond sooner or later."

Starscream forced himself not to look away. "And I was fully prepared to leave you. You never hinted that we were more than friends with benefits."

"Oh." Skyfire folded his arms and hunched over, as if trying to contain some very old, deep running pain. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

Starscream nodded. "So am I. I should have worked up my courage sooner. We weren't going to work."

"You don't know that."

"_He_ can take no for an answer." Even if it wasn't said out loud. And it wasn't the only reason, only the most prominent.

Skyfire cringed and made a sound like a dying animal, as if he'd only now realized where things had gone wrong. "I- you know I was drunk at the time. We both were. But, I'm sorry, for all that it's worth."

The admission didn't fill Starscream with glee as he had expected. His spark felt heavy inside his chest, sadness, regret at a friendship wasted. "Apology accepted."

For a moment, it didn't look like that had even registered with Skyfire. Then, he sat a little more upright.

"Can we go back to being friends?" Starscream added. Ever so cliché, but they had made better friends than lovers.

Skyfire sat there for a long time. "Not quite yet," he said. "I had this weird little hope you'd see reason and come back to me eventually."

"I'm sorry," Starscream said. "I'm long past the point where I wanted to see you suffer."

Skyfire chuckled weakly. "You haven't changed that much. Now. If you'll excuse me."

"Of course." Starscream stood and opened the door for him, and watched Skyfire's slightly hunched back retreating.


	3. Part 3

3

It took Optimus a day to work on his officers enough to make them agree to meet Starscream. Apparently, it was the red one – Ironhide – that had proven to be most difficult.

As Starscream followed Optimus through the hallways, the questioning, hateful stares made his wings itch. No wonder Optimus hadn't made true on his plan to face them. He'd apparently tried to catch them individually, and it had been slower going than expected.

It exhausted him emotionally, had made him slump with weariness last night, and Starscream was ready to strangle anyone who gave his bonded a hard time.

Whatever discussion had been going on in the conference room was hushed as they entered.

"Good evening," Optimus said, and sounded tired.

Starscream repeated the greeting; no reason to make this harder than it already was.

The responses varied from gruff nods to an actual smile from the one called Jazz.

At least there were two free chairs, and Starscream took the one without armrests before Optimus could go chivalrous on him and actually offer the other. It wasn't exactly comfortable; he would have to see about finding a stool if these meetings became more frequent.

Optimus did a round of introductions, a formality that had to be seen to although Starscream remembered the intelligence on the Autobot ranks well enough.

Ironhide seemed to be determined to make this difficult, the way he glowered either at Starscream or at Optimus.

"As I said, this is a strategy meeting," Optimus began. "We've been at an impasse with the Decepticons for years, and frankly, our current tactics don't seem to be able to produce more than stalemates. We've also lost sight of the original goal of this mission."

"If Cybertron had an orbit closer to the sun, we wouldn't need to find offworld energy sources," the one with the vocal indicators, Wheeljack, said.

"You'd need energy first to maneuver it into such an orbit," Starscream objected. "Also, getting the necessary equipment past Shockwave will prove to be difficult."

"Not if we have a Space Bridge. We could find and access an Autobot stronghold without alerting anyone and set up whatever we need there. I dare say you know how to build a space bridge?" Prowl asked.

"I do."

"And he'll send all of us into oblivion if we let him," Ironhide said darkly.

"If you'd just managed to send Megatron off successfully, we wouldn't be having this conversation," Starscream shot back. It was all their fault, really.

"This argument is pointless. And Ironhide," Optimus admonished. "Do try to remember who you're accusing by proxy."

"Um." That was Jazz. "So you're suggestin' we go and conquer a part of Cybertron?"

"Unless we find someone who already has a base, we don't really have the means to hold even a very small fortress," Prowl allowed and looked at Starscream. "At least not with the current situation."

"You could get rid of Megatron," Starscream said. "There's no one left who is fit to take over. Either they're lacking the charisma or the intelligence to do it."

Jazz nodded. "That's about right. There's bound to be infighting."

Starscream resisted the urge to preen.

"I don't like the prospect of aiming to kill him," Optimus said. It was a very Prime-ly attitude to have, of course. Someone had to have some scruples.

"_I_ still have a score to settle with him," Starscream pointed out.

Optimus just looked at him. _I know. Doesn't mean I have to like the idea._

"You've failed at that particular task before," the medic said.

Ha. Leave it to those do-gooders to get it all wrong. "That is none of your business."

"There has to be another way to sow some dissention in the Decepticon ranks," Optimus ended the discussion.

Silence settled. Maybe there was a way, but it eluded even Starscream.

"I want all of you to think about this," Optimus eventually said. "We'll meet here same time next week."

And that was it. No shouting, blame-placing or other signs of general incapability to lead.

_Thank you for your confidence,_ Optimus came through. "Ratchet, Wheeljack, a word if you please." _About your radio and weapons,_ as added explanation.

Starscream withdrew to a wall. There was no way he'd brave the Ark alone.

"So," a voice said from beside him. Jazz. "You'n'Prime."

Starscream just looked at the visored 'bot. This wasn't making much sense.

"I won't bite, y'know. And you can't hide in your quarters forever."

As if he didn't know that. "How charitable of you to act as my savior."

"Ouch," Jazz grinned. "No, really. I figured you'd like a tour."

"Optimus can give me one."

"No doubt about it. But he only knows half the fun details."

That 'bot was tenacious, you had to give him that. Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea. Starscream sent a request along the bond.

Optimus turned to look at him. _You needn't ask my permission. And Jazz is right about the juicy details. Only Bluestreak is a worse gossip._

"So?" Jazz asked.

"By all means."

"Great. Just follow me inconspicuously."

Jazz pushed himself off the wall and strode off, leaving Starscream to tag along and marvel at the order.

As promised, Jazz began talking as soon as they were out of the conference room, and he kept up a steady stream of information that only required Starscream to make appropriate noises occasionally. By the end, he had an idea of all of the Autobots' love life.

They stopped in one of the orange hallways, and Jazz said, "down there's the rec. room."

Considering the din emanating from the open door, that was a foregone conclusion.

"Everyone that's not Prime and Prowl comes here to refuel. Wanna go grab a cube?"

Starscream looked down at Jazz. "Is that appropriate?" And besides, at this rather early time of night, the place was bound to be packed with mechs that hated him.

"Look, I'm bonded to the Prowler, and everyone knows it, so no worries."

Backing out because he wasn't brave enough wasn't an option, so Starscream nodded. "Let's get this over with."

"That's the spirit."

The crowd quieted down abruptly as Starscream passed the doorway. The Ark was almost beginning to feel like home. People just had a habit of talking behind his back wherever he went, it seemed.

"Evenin'," Jazz greeted the others cheerily, and ignored the silence. In fact, he almost seemed to skip as he first led Starscream to the energon dispenser and then to an unoccupied table in a corner, both of them taking a seat with their back to the wall. He seemed to like the attention, and Starscream only didn't snap at them to see where it went.

"Y'know, we'll just have to talk about the weather until they realize it's rude to stare," said Jazz very casually then.

It worked. A few of the others actually managed to look sheepish before turning around, and very slowly, conversations were resumed.

They both sipped their energon while the room returned to its previous level of noisiness.

"You're a bit of a novelty," Jazz said eventually. "Besides, you're just about their favorite 'con to dis. Takes a bit of getting used to that Prime chose you of all mechs."

Starscream frowned. All he wanted was some respect, but even his enemies obviously had only ridicule for him.

"Don't you worry about that. There's more to you than the screechy loudmouth they know."

"Really. That's absolutely breaking news." Starscream felt his wings hitch in annoyance.

"Sorry. I was just trying to explain their angle, right?"

Starscream nodded. That had been an apology from a Autobot. The world was going to end any minute now.

"There's another bit you need to know."

"Indeed."

"Just some basic stuff. You know how I said I was bonded to the Prowler?"

"And?" Starscream narrowed his optics.

"So I know what he knows, and that goes for everything, including what Prime tells Prowl."

"Ah." So Jazz knew they weren't sparkbonded. "Very well."

"We're right across the hall from you'n'Prime. You ever need someone to rant at, or whatever, you come to us."

"Why would I feel the need to rant at you?"

"Because our Prime can be pretty dense and stubborn if the mood takes him, and so you're bound to argue some time."

Well, one didn't have to understand everything, and Jazz's offer to act as a confidant was definitely on that list. Starscream nodded just to get rid of that topic.

"So," Jazz said. "You'n'Prime."

"Are you stuck on repeat?"

xxx

"Rumor has it you made Jazz laugh," Optimus said as they had settled down for the night.

Starscream hummed in affirmative.

"He's a very wise mech. They trust his judgment, so once he's decided you are safe, things should calm down somewhat."

Starscream had expected something along those lines. "You didn't set him up?"

"No. Either he's decided to like you, or he has some knowledge about you that he isn't sharing." Optimus came across as vaguely envious.

"Unlikely," Starscream mumbled.

"Mmmh. Now that you've had a tour, do you feel up to finding the medbay on your own, tomorrow? Ratchet's awaiting you first thing in the morning."

Starscream stilled and propped himself up on his elbows to look at Optimus, forcing himself not to yell. "I was under the impression you didn't want me to roam while you were unsure of reactions."

"Now that Jazz took you under his wing, so to speak, I'm not. And I know you're not feeling particularly well when you're being stared at… will you tell me what's wrong?"

"Do I feel up to finding the medbay? Do you know how patronizing you are being?"

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be. But you were so unsure about going with Jazz earlier… I worry."

"I'm not some hapless sparkling, Optimus."

"I know. But your situation is rather unusual. I don't want you feeling as if you were a prisoner here. You're my bonded mate. Protectiveness is part of the package deal."

Starscream blinked and settled back down, sending a tentative answer he didn't dare to explain out loud; how difficult it was to walk this line between being cared for and being ruled over, how often he'd tried and tried and still had ended up on the wrong side.

Optimus ran light fingers over his helm. He opened the bond fully, so Starscream could glean Optimus's feelings, and it filled him with the same warmth it always did. "You tell me when I'm being overprotective, please? I don't particularly _want_ to be patronizing."

"Hm-hmm," Starscream agreed.

xxx

The next morning, after refueling and dithering a little, Starscream packed up Ratchet's datapads and made his way to medical. He ran into a few 'bots, but their stares didn't feel quite as evil as earlier.

Maybe Optimus had been right and Jazz had made them rethink their attitude somewhat.

The corridor to medical lay deserted, and Starscream hesitated a little before entering.

Inside, the lights were gleaming off immaculately clean surfaces, and the medic was talking to a very small figure sitting on one of the examination tables. One of the Autobot's pet humans.

They stopped their discussion and looked at him.

"You know, Ratch," the human said. "I figured you were pulling my leg."

"Not at all," Ratchet said. "Sparkplug, this is Starscream. Starscream, this is Sparkplug. He's a mechanic, and he's helping me out sometimes." The tone dared Starscream to object.

"Good morning to you, too," Starscream said instead. "I was told you wanted to see me?"

"I was told you needed your parts back. Now stop stalling and get over here." He indicated the other table.

Starscream did as told and sat on the thing. "I've got some datapads Optimus told me to give back to you."

"Hah. Wise move. Where are they?"

Jazz had said that Ratchet was able to scare everyone, including Optimus, and Starscream was beginning to see why. He unsubspaced the pads, and Ratchet nearly yanked them out of his hands. Then, they were deposited rather gingerly on a shelf nearby, and Ratchet proceeded to clean his hands.

"I want a look at your wing first."

And so Starscream sighed and let Ratchet peel off the temporary plating.

"Is it bothering you?" the medic asked while poking around the bare wires and sensors. It itched a little. "You switched the sensory net on again."

"Yes. Flying without it was rather odd."

"Hmm. I'm going to put new temp plating on it that will fall off once the healing is done."

"Good."

"It won't be for a while."

Starscream nodded. He could live with that.

"Good. Now about your missing parts…" He wandered off and came back pushing a trolley, upon which said missing parts and the according instruments were laid out.

"Radio first," Ratchet ordered then. "Lay down, on your front."

Starscream narrowed his optics.

"It's easier that way. Want me to knock you out for it?"

Not particularly. Starscream obeyed, bedding his chin on his hands.

"Face to the left. Those vents are in the way otherwise. One word or twitch, and I will sedate you."

This was less comfortable, and where he didn't have a vent right in front of him, he was forced to look directly at the human that offered a little embarrassed smile in return. Fingers began poking at his helm, and suddenly, all nervous information from this part of his head was gone. Oh well.

"You're pretty meek for a Decepticon," the human said eventually. "No wonder Ratchet likes you."

Starscream tried a glower.

"I dare say there's a difference between meekness and the intelligence not to antagonize a medic," Ratchet said.

"Heh. You're right… though, you know, it's still, um, odd to imagine that Optimus and him are practically married. I mean," he turned an apologetic look at Starscream, "you're both guys."

What in the Pits was this human thinking, comparing Cybertronian ways to their weakling organic culture.

"Bonded, Sparkplug, and we only _have_ 'guys'," Ratchet said calmly. "We don't have gender, and we all have the same parts."

"So… I kinda should have asked this already. Bonding isn't the same thing as marriage, I get that, but what is it?"

"There's actually two forms of bond." Ratchet adopted a lecturing tone. "One isn't really common knowledge anymore, called encoding. You create a special comm. channel that allows you to speak, like over a radio, but you can also share any kind of sensor information and some emotional information. It's not reserved for couples in the classical sense, and you can disable it. However, it's considered too invasive for military uses, and not romantic enough for most couples, so it's more or less forgotten, and only us old timers remember it."

Starscream had the nagging feeling this lesson wasn't only meant for the human.

"Then, there's the sparkbond, the exchange of spark energy. It's exclusive for a couple, it can only be done once, and it's irreversible. Think of it as a sharing of soul and mind. You give up a part of yourself, and receive a part of someone else in return. You'll never be lonely again, you'll never have a fight with your beloved anymore, but you won't ever be able to keep a secret either. As long as they live, you will always be able to find them, no matter the distance, and you will always know how they are. However, once they die, they take a part of you with them, and you're left with a ghost… not responding, not acknowledging you anymore. Therefore, there's a good chance you'll waste away from the pain."

"Ah. Okay," the human said. "So, it's all about love, and not about, I don't know, taxes or providing for someone or raising children, or so."

"Exactly."

"You really have to be sure if you do something like that, then." The human sounded awed, and looked at Starscream somewhat appraisingly.

"It doesn't work if you're not absolutely sure," Ratchet said.

The human seemed to ponder this, while Ratchet finished rummaging in Starscream's skull and turned the sensors back on.

"There. Do me a favor and try it out."

Good. Now to see if his theory was correct. _Optimus?_

_Starscream? Is everything alright?_

_Oh, yes. You're coming through clearly._ And it felt good.

_Well, I do hear you better, and it's surely the longest conversation we've had this way…_ and there was a corresponding smile.

_That's because my radio is working as it should._

_Excellent._ The smile grew wider. _As much as I would love to celebrate right this instant, I do have some work to do. I'll try to finish early, though. See you tonight, then?_

And how sappy was it that this sentence was already becoming a ritual, of sorts. _See you._

"It's sufficient," Starscream announced.

"Judging by the fact I can hear you smiling, I'd say so, too. You may sit up now."

Starscream did as told, careful to neutralize the smile, and rolled his head.

"You're pretty shy, aren't you," the human suddenly said.

"Excuse me?" Wherever had that come from?

"Well, you don't want us to know how pleased you are, and you don't offer personal information unless prodded."

"What does this have to do with anything?"

The human ducked a little, then straightened. "I've known people like that, and it took me awhile until I realized they weren't being arrogant, is all… the guys here are rather dense in that respect. They still haven't realized what they're doing to Mirage. Even Sunstreaker doesn't, and he's got the exact same problem."

"I thought you were a mechanic, not a shrink."

The human held up his puny little hands in defeat. "I just wanted to say that I'm trying to work on them. It's not exactly easy, but I'm trying."

"I don't need your pitiful help, so don't expect me to thank you."

"Yeah, yeah. I know when I'm not wanted. I'm going to see what Jack's up to." He stood up and went to climb a ladder off the table.

"See you then," Ratchet said. "And you really do have a way with words, Starscream."

"Whatever. It's not his business, and if he can't but stick his nose into it, there's more subtle ways to do it."

"He was neither trying to psychoanalyze you, nor was he trying to be nosey. If you made an effort not to be so abrasive, he might actually come to like you. As would other people. Now sit still, I want to reattach those guns of yours."

Of course it was his fault. It was always his fault that people were being moronic or that things went wrong. Starscream sniffed his disdain, but let Ratchet do his work in silence.


	4. Part 4

This fic does have an actual plot, people...

* * *

4

Starscream hovered in the doorway to the lab for nearly a breem before he slipped in. "Skyfire?"

The mech had obviously been totally engrossed with his work, because he started. "Starscream," he said, voice totally neutral.

"I didn't mean to scare you. I wondered…," this was harder than he'd thought.

"Yes?" Skyfire seemed just a little impatient.

"Would you go flying with me sometime? I've effectively been forbidden to leave the base without an escort."

Skyfire frowned. "Why would they forbid you to leave?"

"Because I'm only the highest ranking deserter in the history of this war?"

"Of course." Skyfire seemed to ponder the request. "You've been here for nearly a week."

"That's right." And he was going stir-crazy, but he wouldn't let Optimus know that.

"I'm going to be finished here soon. You can wait if you want."

"Thank you." He'd actually agreed. Starscream smiled as the weight of the Ark and the volcano it was stuck in lifted off his back. He'd get to fly.

Skyfire nodded and turned back to the computer, while Starscream found himself a table to sit on.

"What are you working on, anyway?"

Skyfire made a familiar noise, somewhere between amusement and annoyance. "I'm trying to calculate an orbit for Cybertron where we'd be able to harvest enough solar energy to power it without upsetting the rest of the planets in this system."

"Wheeljack suggested that?"

"Yes. You know about this plan?" Skyfire shot him an askance look.

"Optimus is a little tired of this stalemate, and I'm on the brainstorming commission."

Skyfire nodded. "That makes sense."

For the umpteenth time in the past days, Starscream had the urge to preen. It felt good to be acknowledged as competent again. He kept dangling his feet and opened the connection. Optimus's relief swamped him, then ebbed away when he realized what was happening.

_I'm glad you worked things out somewhat._

_You have no idea how glad _I _am._

_Just don't explode from exuberance._

Their banter was cut short as someone knocked on Optimus's office door.

True to his word, Skyfire was done entering commands a few breems later, and they walked to the entrance together.

"Where to?", asked Skyfire.

"I've never been joy flying over this part of the planet."

Skyfire looked down at him, and knew him well enough to sense the question. "Up the Rockies and down the coastline?"

"Rockies?"

"The Rocky Mountains." Skyfire sounded amused that Starscream hadn't bothered to learn earth geography. "They're quite beautiful."

"I'll hold you to that," Starscream said and kicked off. He flew a few circles until Skyfire had transformed and could lead the way east. Half an hour later, they veered north northwest and followed the mountains at a sedate pace.

Skyfire hadn't been lying. The gray slabs of rock became more jagged and forbidding as they flew, and there was snow on the caps as far as he could see. Quite nice if you could appreciate it from above and didn't have to muddle through it.

Eventually, the mountains petered out at little, and Skyfire turned west, where they hit the coastline and headed south.

They were still over the place called Vancouver Island when Skyfire said, "Teletraan says there's two Decepticon signals at 85 degrees."

Hmm. They were still out of radar range. "Let's see who it is." Starscream switched to the Decepticon radio channels before Skyfire could protest.

There was a whole lot of nothing on the official frequencies, obviously everyone important was down in the Nemesis and didn't bother to contact the couple of fliers. Another switch, and Starscream was on the private Seeker channels.

"… wait, TC, there's… Screamer? That you?"

"It appears so," Starscream answered evenly.

"Oy. How'd you get out? Where are you?" And for a change, Skywarp actually sounded happy to hear him.

"Don't tell me you were worried. I'm currently over the Canadian coastline."

"Whatcha doing there?" He could hear the frown. "You should be heading home."

Well, he was heading home. "There's been a change in arrangements."

"I don't like the sound of that," TC said. "You defected."

"C'mon, TC, don't be so negative."

"He's right. Almost," Starscream said.

Skywarp's shriek was nearly splitting his audios. "What? Tell me you're joking."

"Screamer…," TC pleaded. This was the one who would do almost anything to go back home.

So, this was it, and he wasn't feeling nervous, which surprised him. "I'm not joking. I'm bonded to Optimus Prime."

There were a few moments of unbelieving silence.

"You don't do anything by halves, huh," Skywarp said in a rare moment of clarity.

"Rarely."

"I wish I could offer congratulations," TC said eventually.

"Congratulations are the last thing I'd expect from you two."

"What do you mean?" Skywarp asked, reverting into the imbecile Starscream was used to.

"We haven't been on friendly terms for years, in case you didn't notice."

TC made a little noise. "We treated you like slag," he said.

"Everyone treated him like slag," Skywarp said, as if it were an excuse.

"Exactly," TC snapped. "Listen, Screamer, we didn't see you and we didn't talk to you."

The line was cut, and Starscream was left to ponder the conversation.

"Starscream?" Skyfire's voice called him out of his reverie. "Is everything alright?"

"Just my old wingmates."

"Oh. And?"

"As far as I gathered, they still believed me captive. TC said he'd keep our talk to himself."

"Why?"

"Slag me if I know."

Skyfire didn't prod, and they made the rest of the trip in silence.

It was getting dark by the time they returned, and Optimus was waiting outside the Ark's entrance, arms crossed and emanating worry and anger in equal parts.

"Thanks for playing bodyguard," Starscream commed Skyfire. "Send a medic to our quarters if I haven't turned up by noon tomorrow."

Skyfire actually chuckled, but he did make off quickly with a short greeting after they had landed.

Optimus just glowered, and Starscream agreed to the unspoken request to follow him back to their quarters. Arguing in public places wasn't done.

"What did you think you were doing?" Optimus asked when the door was safely shut behind them, and his optics had nearly turned white. Primus, he was angry.

"I had a hunch. There's only one pair of fliers on the Nemesis." Starscream inched a little closer to the door of his room.

"And that's a reason to blab your whereabouts and new status to them?"

Starscream crossed his arms. "They were my friends, once." And how he hated this planet and Megatron most of all for making him lose them.

The anger evaporated then, and Optimus actually slumped. "I'm sorry. I'm just worried. Do you think they will make good on that promise?"

"I don't know. Skywarp is Megatron's favorite."

"We'll just have to deal with the consequences," Optimus said. He wandered to the couch, plopped down and patted the seat next to him. "What happened?"

"Excuse me?"

"You said they were your friends, once."

Why anyone should be interested in that pitiful story, Starscream had no idea, but he complied, assuming his usual place in Optimus's lap. It was difficult, to find words, however, so Starscream just showed him.

How he'd latched onto the older pair when he'd first been assigned to them in Vos. Actually missing them while he was at the Academy.

The survey that made him lose Skyfire, and returning to Vos after being accused of having killed the shuttle.

Listening to Megatron's speeches together, joining up, rising in the ranks. Being separated when Megatron handed over the command of the Polyhex sector to Starscream, while the other two remained at Iacon.

Being named second in command shortly before the mission to stop the Autobots, and Skywarp's animosity beginning at that particular revelation. And from then on, they just hadn't stopped picking on him, and he'd picked right back, because it was obvious that Skywarp had replaced Starscream as Megatron's favorite and therefore most loyal, while Starscream had been reduced to punching bag.

On another level, he felt Optimus holding his hands and rubbing them, and when he was done, Optimus just held him for a little while.

_You must miss them terribly._

_Sometimes,_ he did, yes. The wound had stopped leaking and had grown a scab, but at times like these, when he had to pick at the scab, it hurt. They'd been close enough to touch, but something had always kept him from reaching out.

_From that angle, your life sounds like a streak of bad luck._

Skywarp's charm crystal had been utterly useless until about a month ago.

_Thank you. It's always nice to be considered good luck._

_You're the best thing that ever happened to me._

_Ditto,_ Optimus said and held on a little tighter.

xxx

Apart from the slight hitch with the Seekers yesterday, Starscream had been doing quite well insinuating himself into the Ark's routines.

Prime watched his still recharging bondmate and dreaded the minute he'd have to coax him off. It was probably a good thing they hadn't really argued last night. Prime had been prepared to read Star the riot act, and then the mech had to go and get all defensive and depressed, and Prime had just melted.

It had garnered him an almost-declaration, too, so he didn't mind.

Sometimes, like right now, it was stumping him with how well it actually worked. Starscream had begun to hang around the lab once his weapons had been reinstalled, and Perceptor, of all people, had taken pity on him and asked him to work out some schematics for a space bridge.

Their new not-yet-fully-devised strategy was keeping at least the science department busy.

Prime had very little hope the meeting tomorrow would yield many suggestions past the obvious. And no matter how much sense it made, planning the assassination of his worst enemy just didn't sit well with him.


	5. Part 5

5

As it turned out, the strategy meeting had to be postponed, because that afternoon the spies brought news of some super nuclear weapon schematics the Decepticons hoped to steal from some humans, and the Autobots ended up ambushing an ambush.

The battle was unpretty and ended with a retreat, as expected. However, it had been a little shorter than usual, which might have been due to the fact that Starscream wasn't there to keep the fliers in any kind of order.

One of them had managed to score a hit, blackening some paint on Prime's left arm. Nothing really hurtful, but Starscream had reacted with worry instantly, and Prime had cut him off.

In the end, they collected the injured, Skyfire taxiing the worst cases, and went home.

Starscream was waiting at the Ark's entrance, his quivering wings the only hint for how livid he was. He kept Prime from following everyone else to the medbay by grabbing his arm. "Don't tell me you are going to get that taken care of once you're down there."

"It's just some burnt paint. And the gash isn't even leaking anymore."

Starscream narrowed his optics at him, and Prime resisted the urge to duck. Shouldn't have mentioned that bit.

"I'll let you go play concerned leader once I've taken care of that."

Prime just blinked at the implications.

"I've fixed worse."

"But…"

"Let's just say that I avoided Hook's crowd of sadists as much as possible."

"It's nothing really," Prime said, reeling a little at the revelation. "You don't have to concern yourself with it," and maybe dig up bad memories.

"For Primus's sake, will you stop coddling me!" Starscream snapped, and made Prowl, who was giving Red Alert a summary of the events, turn and raise his optic ridges at them.

It was enough to shock Prime into motion, and he meekly followed Starscream to their quarters, where Star dug out the first aid kit and began cleaning the wounds. Disturbingly enough, he was quite good at it, and had the gash sealed in no time at all and with the minimum amount of pain caused.

"Have you ever considered a career in medicine?" Prime asked just to get rid of the silence.

"No. I'm not the type for it."

A breem later, Starscream declared him ready to play hero, and Prime fled the hostility and wandered to the medbay to see how his soldiers were doing.

It was much better than usual. According to Wheeljack, Sunstreaker was out so Ratchet didn't have to listen to his whining, and Bumblebee, who had been targeted by the cassette twins, was recharging now that he'd been fixed.

Everyone else was miraculously functional.

Ironhide was leaning against the wall and waiting for someone to fix a hole in his arm. "You missed the fun part," he told Prime and indicated Sunstreaker.

"I can imagine. Starscream insisted on patching me up."

"He did?" Ironhide gave him an askance look.

Prime tapped the temporary plating on his thigh. "He's actually quite good at it."

"Right."

Prime heaved a sigh and wandered over to the next 'bots, who happened to be Sideswipe and Bluestreak, talking quietly.

"Uh, hello, Prime, sir, sorry, we didn't see you, we're being a bit distracted what with Sunstreaker hurt, and-"

"That's quite alright. I just wanted to thank you again for shooting Starscream back then."

"Umm, sir, it was really just dumb luck and it's no reason to be proud."

"Yes, it is. I believe today has proven that he was really quite essential to keep the Decepticon jets in line."

"Oh." Bluestreak looked a little puzzled. "That's what you meant. Right, sir, there's less casualties than usual, you're right."

"You don't seem entirely comfortable that he's living here, now."

"Umm, sir, really, it's just a bit much to take all at once, because he's tried to kill each of us at least ten times, though he is being civil most of the time…"

"We'll get used to it someday," Sideswipe interjected.

Prime nodded and suddenly felt tired.

Starscream sent a small caress along the bond. Obviously, his temper had cooled somewhat in the last half an hour.

It wasn't the time to mope. "That's all I can ask," Prime said, and left to talk to Ratchet before the two warriors could puzzle out why he wasn't chastising them.

Ratchet only glanced at him once before concentrating again on Sunstreaker. "You'll have to wait until I can look at that gash."

"Starscream fixed it already."

Ratchet frowned at him. "Really?"

"Yes, really." Prime turned a little so Ratchet could see the patch.

"Good to see he's taking care of you. I want a look at it tomorrow."

"Thank you," Prime said.

Ratchet harrumphed, which meant the audience was over.

Prime completed his round, offering praise here and a pat on the shoulder there, and remembered that without Starscream, he would have done it with a hole in his leg and a blackened arm, because he was Prime, and that meant he had to put everyone else before himself.

Starscream, in turn, understood, but was a little impatient still.

Prowl came sidling in just when Prime felt comfortable to leave. "Optimus? The officers are all free, if you want a debriefing now."

Prime stopped short, because Starscream was protesting vehemently. _You need your rest._

_Because rest is what you have in mind._

_We've interfaced fourteen times in the past ten days, I can go without for a night._

He'd counted? Well. Put like that, they sounded rather… horny.

"Optimus?" Prowl frowned up at him.

"Sorry. It's rather late; I believe everyone will appreciate it if we leave this until tomorrow morning."

Prowl nodded. "Very well. When exactly?"

"Um. Let's say 0830 hours."

"I'll send out a memo," Prowl said.

"Thank you. And good night," Prime said and escaped.

xxx

Starscream leaned in the open doorway, arms crossed and a study of, what did Spike call it, coolness. He looked good.

One of those lopsided grins spread on Starscream's face. "Don't go sabotaging my good intentions." He pushed himself off the doorjamb and preceded Prime into their quarters.

Once the door was closed, Prime found himself nearly crushed by a hug.

"Don't shut me out like that," Starscream said hoarsely and released him. "I was worried."

"I did it so you wouldn't worry."

Starscream scoffed. "As if that would work. You can only do that when I'm also in battle, hear me?"

"Yes, sir."

Again a scoff. "Now, sit."

Prime complied and was presented with a cube of energon, which he downed quickly. He hadn't realized he was that depleted. Starscream handed him another cube and sat on the couch's armrest while Prime sipped. "Thank you," Prime said belatedly, when he'd finished.

"You're quite welcome." Starscream stood up in one fluid movement and came to a stop behind Prime. And began massaging Prime's shoulders. Primus knew where he had picked up that particular human habit, but Prime wasn't about to complain. It felt nice, and Prime leaned into the touch.

"I won't preach to you how you need to take better care of yourself. It's obvious Ratchet has done it often enough, and you're still not listening."

"They need me."

"They need you functional and awake, Optimus."

"Hmm." He wasn't really up to an argument.

"And since shouting at you is obviously fruitless, I'll just bully you when I think you need it."

"Deal."

There was a slight pang along the connection, telling Prime Starscream had expected some protests. But why would he protest? Being coddled like this was wonderful.

"Good," Starscream eventually said.

When Starscream stopped, Prime rather felt like a puddle of goo, and too relaxed to even try standing.

Star returned to his armrest and looked entirely too smug.

"Can I recharge here?" Prime asked.

"No. You'll get a crick in your neck, and all my work will be for naught."

"It'd be a good way to make you do it again."

Starscream just raised his optic ridges at him. "You forget that I can feel some of it, too." He shook his head, stood and offered Prime a hand up.

Prime was first shoved into the washracks for a quick shower and then dragged to the berth, where Starscream went all odd on him and actually lay back so that Prime could place his head on Star's chest and get his helm stroked.

"You don't have to do that."

"It's fine as long as you don't move. And you do need to be coddled a little today."

"Should I get myself injured more?"

"Idiot." Starscream rapped his knuckles on Prime's forehead. "What I mean is that Ironhide's attitude is eating at you. And that loudmouth, Bluestreak, he's unhappy it was him that ultimately caused my stay here."

"Hmm." Starscream was rather perceptive.

"Things might actually get better in time," Starscream said. "They'll get used to me being around and not shooting them."

"I know. But it's… you'd think they'd trust my judgment by now." It rankled that they didn't. He was their Prime; that office had to have more perks than nice quarters.

"Optimus… does anyone beside Prowl, Jazz and Skyfire know that we've been seeing each other for years?"

Oh. Prime groaned. Of course.

"See. For all they know, I've ensnared you with my seekerly, screechy wiles while I sat in the brig."

And that would be cause for concern. He'd been pretty oblivious.

_Yes. But I knew that going in._

Prime sighed and rolled himself off. _Come on, my wily Seeker. You need your recharge just like everyone else._

Thankfully, Starscream complied with a slight chuckle and let himself be arranged atop Prime, as per usual.

xxx

For once, Starscream was awake before Optimus, and had the luxury of watching his bonded recharge.

Sometimes, Starscream expected to wake up in some medbay or other and discover that it had been a dream or virus induced hallucination, because there was no way such a beautiful, noble and kind mech would ever feel anything but disdain or pity for someone like him.

And yet, here he was, bonded to Optimus Prime, best of the best and shining Autobot hero, who could have his pick of almost everyone… and the only mech that didn't seem to find Starscream lacking in some way or other.

It was utterly unbelievable.

He hadn't even argued Starscream's bout of protectiveness, even though it wasn't like Starscream to do be so assertive. But Starscream had been worried, and angry, and he just hadn't cared about possible consequences.

And Optimus had liked it. It would take some time until Starscream could remember last night and not cringe at his audacity.

Beneath him, Optimus sighed and activated his optics. He stared at Starscream dumbly for a moment, not quite awake yet, and Starscream found himself smiling at the display of cuteness.

"Morning, Optimus."

"… morning. My love."

Starscream shut off his optics for a moment.

"I'll call you that until you actually believe it," Optimus murmured.

"I want to." Everything to believe it was more than a passing fancy. But this part inside him, the part that doubted and yet wanted to be loved more than anything, it wouldn't let him.

"I can wait a vorn or ten," Optimus said.

Starscream hummed his thanks. Primus, he was pathetic.

"You're not pathetic. Even with all that happened to you, you still care."

And it was rather a novelty for him to be cared about like this, as Starscream gathered. "You make it easy." Optimus had somehow made him weak in that respect. He'd been so determined not to let anything get to him as it had once, but he'd found he couldn't not care about Optimus.

"It's good my fearless leader persona hasn't been fooling you."

"I know what it's like to be tired."

"Hmm-hmm." Optimus sighed again. "Thank you for making me be selfish yesterday."

"It's all right." Starscream hefted himself up so he could kiss Optimus. "I can be selfish for both of us if you want me to."

"Please."

Starscream tried a lecherous grin. "Is that an invitation?"

"Not quite. Prowl will have my head if I'm late for that debriefing."

Oh well. "Tonight, then?"

xxx

'Tonight', however, was the equivalent of 'after the strategy meeting', which meant Starscream had again offered to take Megatron out and Prime had refused to even consider the possibility, and so they returned to their quarters quietly and not at all in the mood for anything.

Prime had no inclination to do paperwork in this brooding silence, so before Starscream could even think of retreating to his room, Prime asked him to sit and poured them some high grade.

For a breem or two, they sipped at their respective drinks.

"Star… why did it only _look_ like you were trying to kill Megatron?", he asked, quoting a silent comment from earlier.

Starscream tilted his head, obviously finding this a dumb question. "When I want someone dead, I usually just kill them. I don't announce my plans repeatedly before taking action."

"That's not an answer."

"I know." Star looked at the next wall.

"Will you explain to me, then?"

Star tilted his head. "I can try," he allowed after some time.

"Please do." Prime needed to understand this.

"He was an excellent leader once. I looked up to him. And then we woke up here and he just started… bumbling. He's never quite adjusted to this planet."

"You were disappointed," Prime concluded. It started to make a very odd sort of sense. Not quite healthy sense, of course, but then, Star wasn't exactly stable.

Star nodded.

"And you were telling him this," maybe even trying to punish him for it, "by telling him he wasn't fit to lead anymore, in the hope he just would wake up and be his old self again." And it had gotten out of hand, because Megatron reacted by beating Starscream, which was another disappointment to Starscream on one level and maybe well-deserved punishment on another, and a way for Megatron to assert his power over at least one individual, and they'd started a vicious circle that, obviously, neither had been willing to break for a few years.

As Starscream frowned, Optimus was rather happy their link was still quiet.

"I think I understand." And now that the cycle had been broken, Starscream realized the whole abuse for what it was, and wanted revenge. "Though settling scores through violence isn't the Autobot way."

"I'm not an Autobot."

"I know. But I am, and my conscience won't let me issue that kind of order."

Star offered a grim smile. "It appears we're at an impasse."

"Yes." Prime smiled back, and opened the connection. "We'll have to see if Ratchet will figure out a way to keep him in stasis for as long as we need." The stasis chamber would need some big modifications in terms of safety.

"Probably." The connection opened from Starscream's side as well.

Phew. Prime smiled even wider. _Are we good?_

_Well, you are. I'm bad, you know that._

_Uh-huh. _Prime waggled his optic ridges. If Starscream was in a mood good enough for puns, he had to exploit that. _And you know very well what I do to bad little Seekers._

Stars smirked back at him. _This bad little Seeker will make very sure that it is only him you do._

Prime blinked. What?

Star grinned and pounced.


	6. Part 6

6

Work with the science department was a little slow going the day after the strategy meeting.

There had been a general consensus that Megatron needed to be gone if the Autobots wanted to win, but killing him wasn't an option and keeping him in captivity would be difficult.

Wheeljack seemed a little depressed and had begun tinkering with some explosives instead of his self-assigned propulsion system for Cybertron, and Skyfire had been infected by the mood and was looking more at the wall than at his calculations.

Since Perceptor had run off to survey some biology with the hologram expert around midday, Starscream was left to pour over the schematics for the space bridge on his own, and it wasn't any fun if he couldn't argue with the geeky microscope.

So he slunk over to Skyfire. "What say we finish up for today and go flying?"

Skyfire looked at him for nearly half a breem before he processed the suggestion. "It's usually not my style…"

"We're moping, Skyfire. Don't tell me you actually got anything done today."

Skyfire cycled some extra air for a sigh. "I won't. You're right. Hey, Wheeljack?"

"Hrm?"

"We're going out flying, for some inspiration." Perceptor sometimes went on a walk for the same reason, so it was a good excuse.

Starscream felt Optimus's smile at the thought.

Wheeljack nodded, seemingly distracted, so they slipped out of the lab, stopped by the rec. room so Skyfire could refuel, and were off, this time south.

The single Decepticon blip on the radar appeared without any warning from the satellite the Autobots had.

"Don't panic," Starscream told Skyfire. "I'll just look who it is."

He flipped through several silent channels until he found …

"Screamer?" TC sounded oddly hopeful.

"The same. What are you doing on long distance patrol alone?"

"Warp's in medbay."

Odd. "Optimus said none of you got slagged."

"You asked about us?" Blatant disbelief.

"Yes, I did. Now what happened to Warp?"

"Um. It was this kind of accident that got your wings caught in closing doors and ran you into bulkheads and stuff…"

An just like that, Starscream's fuel tanks felt as if they had been pressed flat.

On the radar, the blip adopted a parallel course to Skyfire and Starscream.

"I should have known you two didn't buy the excuses."

There was depressed silence on the other end.

"What did Warp do to get beaten up?" And why was he feeling obligated to play counselor?

"We lost that battle."

"Ah."

"Yeah."

"It's Megatron's modus operandi. Warp better get used to it."

"I don't want to get used to it!" TC roared, and in root mode, Starscream would have raised an optic ridge. Now that it was his lover on the receiving end, he could get upset. "The fragging coneheads didn't listen to the orders, and they deserved punishment just like everyone else."

"Yeah. But they aren't the old buckethead's pets, so they wouldn't be quite as disappointed, and they wouldn't go and try make amends quite like a pet would."

"Don't call Warp a pet."

"He is. Face it. He's inherited that dubious honor from me."

"Yeah." There was a few moments' silence. "In retrospect, I don't get why you didn't run off sooner."

Starscream pondered that. "It's different. Was different. Megatron's trying the same thing on Warp, but it won't work, because Warp's not me."

"I dunno."

"He's got you and you actually think he didn't deserve it."

"He didn't. You didn't."

"I thought I did."

"Oh."

"Yes."

"That's pretty messed up."

"Well, you two kept telling me I was crazy."

"Yeah. Sorry about that. …Listen, Screamer, I gotta return or I'll be late. Talk to you some other time."

The line went dead, and Starscream switched back to Autobot frequencies.

"That was a long talk for only looking who it is," Skyfire said, sounding amused.

"It was TC."

"What is he doing alone?"

Everyone knew Seekers only operated in pairs or trines. "Punishment patrol. Can we go home now?"

"Of course," Skyfire said. He banked a little and adjusted the course to a direct route instead of the roundabout way they'd planned.

Only when they were approaching the Ark and Starscream saw Optimus standing outside, he realized he'd completely shut himself off from the bond. Yet he didn't change that, because Optimus was bound to laugh at him.

Skyfire left after squeezing Starscream's shoulder once.

"Star?", Optimus asked and sounded so needy that Starscream gave in and let himself be drawn into an embrace.

They stood a while like that, and Starscream was vaguely aware that at least one 'bot stopped to stare at them for a moment. Neither he nor Optimus were big on public displays.

"Talk to me, please," Optimus murmured eventually.

"Not here."

"No."

Just like almost an eternity ago, Optimus took his hand to lead him through the Ark. It attracted a few more stares, and Starscream did his best to glare back. It wasn't his problem if they couldn't get used to the idea that Optimus and he were bonded.

The Ark was too small, they were back on the deck with the personal quarters in no time at all, and then they were behind closed doors, and Starscream fought the urge to pace.

"Starscream…" Optimus sounded just a little exasperated. "Please. You know that I'm not going to laugh or do something equally insensitive, don't you."

"You've proven to be pretty dense in the past," Starscream spat.

Oh, maybe he wouldn't laugh out loud, but the scorn would still be there. This was far beyond small irrational insecurities or petty adjustment troubles. The utter humiliation of what he had told TC without really thinking about it.

"Can we just assume I will ignore any insults and start from there?" Optimus retracted the mask and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Will you at least open the bond so that you can receive? I need to know you're here."

There was such finality in that tone, something that told him Optimus wasn't willing to accept his fretting much longer; so Starscream sighed and did as asked and was flooded in pure, honest concern and puzzlement.

"If I'm not allowed to shut you out, you can't, either."

Starscream looked away. Maybe it had been a mistake to keep this bond of theirs.

"What happened to that friend of yours to make you so upset?"

Of course, Optimus wouldn't let it go. Of course, Starscream would never be able to open his part of the bond again if he didn't tell Optimus about this. He'd just have to accept that Optimus would want to break the connection or that he'd need to move out at a moment's notice.

"Come here," Optimus pleaded, and Starscream did allow himself to be held. Who knew if this wasn't his last chance at it. "Shush." _You're shaking, love._

As if he didn't know that. Slowly, he eased the bond open again and let Optimus hear the rest of the conversation with TC.

_It's okay,_ Optimus whispered into his mind, and began rocking him. Instead of pity or ridicule there was only an all encompassing sadness. _It's okay. Please don't be upset, but I did guess at something like that a while ago._

What? No… Starscream pushed himself away and retreated to the wall.

"Starscream." Optimus took one step forward, and stopped there. "I… I was a little worried about your behavior that first night, and I discussed it with Ratchet for some advice. Not in detail, just the general… attitude that brought it on in the first place. You're not the only abuse case running around the Ark, so he does know what he's talking about."

Ratchet knew? Probably they all knew and were laughing and talking about him behind his back.

"No, they aren't, because Ratchet didn't tell anyone. I just… I'm not a therapist, and you're obviously not ready to discuss this without going overboard but I'm trying. Will you try, too?"

Try what? Not to go overboard while Optimus mocked Starscream for his delusions of grandeur?

Optimus sighed. "Wanting to be accepted doesn't rate as delusions of grandeur. Listen to the bond, at least… I know you think you're screechy and crazy and worthless."

Starscream looked away and sank down to sit on the floor, curl up on himself. This was it. This was the end.

But the blow wasn't coming. Instead, Optimus actually came to sit next to him, not touching, but there.

"I would have needed to be deaf and blind not to catch those vibes over the bond. And I know Megatron is a gifted manipulator; he used your insecurity against you. But it just so happens that _I_ think you're intelligent and beautiful and that your voice saying my name is the best thing I've ever heard." _Your smiles make something inside me melt, and sometimes I look at you and think I must be the luckiest mech in the entire universe. I love you._

And Optimus let him feel that warm melting feeling. It hadn't changed at all since last time, and it was still scaring in its intensity, almost scorching, but Starscream knew there was something similar inside him, even if he wasn't brave enough to let Optimus know how it nearly burned him up sometimes.

Eventually, he felt Optimus's hand take his and rub it, and they sat there until the comm. unit beeped with an incoming call several breems later.

xxx

Starscream was a little skittish for the rest of the day, avoiding their usual banter over the bond and not leaving the quarters, but Prime had the vague idea Star was doing some thinking, so he didn't press the matter.

Prowl dropped by just as Prime was ready to leave for the day.

"Is everything alright with you?"

"Yes. Why?"

"You were seen holding hands with Starscream. It's not your usual behavior."

Prime nodded grimly. "I know." And perhaps that should change. "Starscream was a little distraught. He ran into one of his old wingmates when he was out earlier, and they talked."

Prowl raised his optic ridges at that.

"They are his friends, and until now, they've been able to keep mum about it." And Prowl deserved an explanation for his absence earlier. "Anyway, Megatron beat the other of those wingmates into a pulp. Starscream feels a little responsible for that."

Prowl blinked twice. "Oh," he said eventually. "Jazz kept insisting Starscream was acting like Mirage, but I didn't quite believe it."

Anger flared up in the back of his mind, and was clamped down quickly. So now Starscream was angry at Prime because Prowl had some rather twisted logic. Great. There would be need for extensive damage control later. "I'd appreciate if this didn't make it into the rumor mill."

"You know that it won't. So you say some Decepticons know Starscream is bonded to you?"

"It's just his old wingmates."

"Did you remember Megatron has a telepath at hand?"

"Yes, I did. And it's obvious he didn't feel the need to intrude on Thundercracker and Skywarp yet, otherwise we wouldn't keep getting messages that ask for a prisoner exchange."

"Of course. However, it would be advisable to plan for the event."

"Hmm. Prowl… what if we leaked it on purpose?" Megatron just might loose his already-not-so-cool head about it.

"That's an interesting idea. I'll see what the results are."

xxx

Optimus was making himself scarce after that talk with Prowl, which was just as well.

Starscream's supply of appropriate reactions was somewhat depleted, and he was seriously considering the stash of high grade in the cupboard under the screen.

After the second or so breem of staring at that particular section of the wall, the door chime rang. Great.

Shaking his head, Starscream walked very slowly towards the door and opened it.

"Hola, fly-boy" Jazz said and grinned up at him somewhat unrepentantly. "I got my hands on some of Sider's latest batch of high grade and need someone to destroy it with."

"So kind of you to remember me today."

"Heh." Jazz ducked his head. "Can't fool you, right. Look, I only got Prowl's end of the discussion, and I can imagine that it sucked to high heaven. Looks like your entire day was on about the same suckage level, too. So I thought you'd probably like some company that isn't Prime."

"I mostly need a valid excuse to get drunk," Starscream said. It wasn't like he hadn't been thinking about it.

"Yup. That, too. So, come on."

Jazz nearly skipped the few steps across the hall to the door of his quarters. Starscream followed a bit slower, feeling like an intruder.

Prowl's and Jazz's place was, apparently, a two room deal, and there was an invisible… divide line in the living room. Each half of the room had a desk and some shelves. One occupant was rather messy – haphazard piles of datapads, human music recordings and various memorabilia filling every available surface – while the other was so painfully neat it made Starscream's optics cross.

"Odd arrangement, I know. Prowl and I have a lot of those, otherwise we wouldn't have worked long enough to bond."

Jazz rummaged through some shelf on his side of the room and came up with the promised canister of high grade and two cubes. "Grab a seat."

Starscream grabbed an armrest, and didn't even get an odd look.

"Are your subordinates aware of how you go about destroying confiscated high grade?"

"Given they sometimes try and bribe me with it?" Jazz grinned and handed a full cube over. "Don't you tell me you never were asked to turn a blind optic."

Starscream tasted the energon. It was good, had somehow acquired a spicy flavor, and it packed quite a punch, if the burning in his throat was any indication. "Back when I wasn't on the target list."

"Ouch." Jazz winced. "Sorry, man. Talk about foot in mouth."

Starscream snorted and took another swig and there was a nice buzz in his processors almost instantly. "Conversations with me have a habit to turn that way."

"I won't say your life couldn't have possibly been that bad. You won't be able to top the twins, but they're setting a really high standard."

"Optimus mentioned something like that."

"Yeah. Thing is, everyone here's got some issue or other. I mean, look at this room. Sad fact is, though, that our resident psychologist don't ever get to see the really severe cases. Too paranoid, the lot of them. They just muddle through, and we accommodate them best as we can."

Starscream downed the rest of the liquid, and the room started to swim out of focus, and his knees felt weak like warm wax. "I understand." Obviously he rated as a severe case.

"Good. Right." Jazz offered a refill. "So. You and Skyfire have made up, right."

"In a manner of speaking." Starscream took another sip, feeling so blissfully numb he was almost ready to discuss this.

"Ah. Another of those foot in mouth topics, right."

"I told you, there's really no… other sort of stuff, thing… topics, with me." Starscream swallowed the last of the second cube, and the world dissolved.

xxx

Call him a coward, but Prime didn't return to the quarters until Starscream went from not sending to recharging. It was dark inside, and Starscream was neither in the bedroom nor in the other room. Unease crept up Prime's spine with very cold fingers.

There was a knock on the doorjamb – he hadn't realized he'd left it open.

"Prime?" Prowl's voice.

"Yes?" Prime turned to look at his second.

"If you're looking for Starscream, he passed out on our couch."

"He did?" Prime really didn't want an explanation.

"Um." That was Jazz. "If I'd known he'd get that drunk that quickly, I'd never have offered it. I just thought he'd want a sympathetic ear, with you two discussing him like you did."

Ah. "I dare say he didn't talk much."

"Seems to be a habit of his, yes. You want to come get him or should we just let him sleep?"

"He doesn't seem to be comfortable on couches."

"Right."

Prime followed the others into their quarters and hefted up his bondmate in a fireman's carry. "Thank you. The intent is appreciated."

"Yeah. I'm sorry," Jazz said.

"I dare say he'll be sorry as soon as he wakes up, too."

"I'll play nurse if you want me to."

"No. I don't believe that will be necessary."

And with that, he stalked out. What in Primus' name had Jazz been thinking. Getting drunk wasn't a solution.

He put Starscream on the berth, found a waste receptacle for emergencies and tried to ignore the sweet stench of high grade while cycling into recharge.

xxx

Gah. Starscream's fuel tanks were roiling, and the light was too bright when he activated his optics.

He'd obviously gotten overenergized. Idiot.

He wished he could purge his tanks, but that wasn't an option. It hadn't been that much, obviously, so it was all in his systems already.

Groaning, he felt for the light switch, and hit something. Ouch. He grabbed at it, it was big, and it had a front grill.

Right. Prime. This was Optimus Prime, this was, therefore, Optimus Prime's personal quarters, and yesterday had not been a nightmare.

"Slag."

"That about sums it up," rumbled Optimus. "Good morning to you, too."

Starscream refrained from answering. He'd been determined to make use of his own room for once.

"I certainly didn't want to offend you, Star. Or betray you. But Prowl is a good friend… I just didn't want him to think I was behaving totally random yesterday. And I certainly didn't expect him to jump to the right conclusion. "

"Couldn't think of a new excuse overnight?"

Optimus sighed. "It is the only _explanation_ I have. But I am sorry I just went ahead and didn't ask if you were okay with it. I know you value your privacy, and I'm sorry I ignored that."

"I don't know. I'll think about it once I'm feeling better."

There was a twinge of disappointment from the bond, and something else entirely. "That's nothing less than I deserve. Call me if you need anything, please." Optimus placed a kiss on the back of Starscream's helm. "I love you."

"Hmm." The big lug did know which buttons to press, alright. "I'm still angry."

"I know. Will you believe I'm actually proud that you are?"

"No."

"I love you anyway." There was another kiss. "I'll reroute calls to my office so you don't have to get up. See you later."

The berth wobbled a little as Optimus got up. Starscream blinked at the wall. This was going to be a very long morning.

xxx

Starscream came to again around midday. His tanks weren't feeling so off anymore, although the light was still too bright and the sound of air in his vents was still too loud. But recharging wasn't going to help that, per definition.

He reduced the gain of most of his sensors, crawled out of bed and attempted a bored amble to the labs.

He wasn't quite succeeding, as Skyfire didn't waste time to tell him. "You're too old to let yourself get drunk like that."

"You're supposed to coddle mechs with a hangover, you big dolt."

"Then you'd just accuse me of treating you like a sparkling. I know you."

"More's the pity." This felt almost like old times.

"So. Did you get some bad news yesterday? Prime said something to the like."

"Hah. He would."

On the other end of the bond, Optimus winced slightly.

Starscream navigated his way to a nearby stool and plopped down on it. After a few moments the world stopped spinning. "It was more like Prime being Prime."

"How would you know about Prime being Prime?" Wheeljack asked.

"You don't really believe a few days of waxing philosophical in that brig are enough to make me bond with someone."

Wheeljack just looked at him. "We were never told otherwise."

"Prime being Prime being obnoxiously dense," Starscream elaborated. "He neglected to mention that it took him years to realize that I actually liked him."

"It did?"

"Almost four, to be exact."

_No need to rub it in,_ Optimus whined.

_Yes, there is._

"I don't know if I like this version better," Wheeljack admitted.

"No? For years and years he tried to reform me, and now he finally succeeded. It's his own fault it took so slagging long."

Wheeljack nodded dazedly. He'd probably discuss it with Ratchet, and then it would get out to the rest of those rumormongers. So this entire dreadful episode had at least two good aspects. First, Skyfire was talking to him again, and second, Starscream had done what Optimus hadn't managed to do in the past days.

_You're a public relations god,_ Optimus told him, sounding rather amused.

_Don't mock me._

_It's called teasing, I believe. So, you have forgiven me. Right?_

_Yes._ Starscream sighed. _Yes, you are being forgiven._


	7. Part 7

I did say this thing has plot... someone made an educated, and correct, guess as to the developments.

Thanks to everyone who followed this far, reviewed and/or put me on their favorites list.

And without further ado, here's part 7 of 12.

* * *

7

Fate probably had a grudge against Prime, because it didn't grant him even as much as a two-orn-break. Or maybe it was this planet – with its short days, time somehow seemed to both stretch and speed up. Or maybe it was the humans – they were so agonizingly fast, making discoveries in mere months where Cybertron had needed centuries, and forcing the Cybertronians to keep up with their pace.

In any case, almost three precious weeks of peace and quiet had made Starscream calm down, talk to Jazz on a regular basis and start nagging Prime about his recharging and refueling habits.

In other words, life had been blissfully normal, almost domestic, even, until the gods had decided it was enough and had the Decepticons plan some new atrocity or other. They'd begun building a base, not far enough from civilization (Los Angeles, to be precise), and Prime didn't have the will to wait and see what exactly Megatron had thought of now.

Thus, as soon as they'd found evidence of it, he assembled a group and they drove down to destroy the base before it was finished.

The Decepticon flyers' discipline hadn't improved much since the last battle. Starscream's ex-wingmates had apparently adjusted somewhat, but it was still too easy to make them break formation and get them to the ground, where they weren't really useful.

Things ended up in a siege on the base until Mirage managed to plant some of Wheeljack's explosives, and the resulting destruction and injuries made Megatron call a retreat before he even got his chance at the traditional face-off with Prime.

Prime watched them until they were nothing but mere dots in the sky. The blue Seeker…

_TC_, Starscream supplied.

He was trailing smoke.

_I'm more worried about Warp._

Prime nodded, but he still had some trouble to see these two as something other than enemies. Coming to think of that, he was rather sure they'd avoided hitting him with anything too dangerous.

_Soft-sparked idiots,_ Starscream groused, but there was no real malice in it.

_Well, I will be home in one piece for a change._

With that, Prime transformed and let Jazz, who was too injured to transform, sit in his trailer.

xxx

Despite Optimus's claim that he was unharmed, there were two, three dents. And he was filthy, coated in desert dust from the drive and a fall he had taken.

_You look like slag_, Starscream informed his bonded mate once he was back in root mode.

_Thank you._

_I won't let you anywhere near medical while you're this dirty._ With that, he sidled over, took Optimus's hand and dragged him off to their quarters. The little display earned a few looks, but nowhere near as bad as it had been.

Somewhere along the line, Starscream had lost the 'filthy' of the 'filthy Decepticon' people had liked to call him.

_You're usually cleaner than I am,_ Optimus said.

_That was the point. I can't let these feathery beasts decay in my intakes, while you lot seem perfectly content to walk around with dead bugs drying all over your front._

_Couldn't you have said something sooner?_

Starscream chuckled. _If it really were such a turn off, I wouldn't have bedded you in the first place._

Optimus was still a little miffed when they reached their quarters, so Starscream followed him into the washracks and proceeded to demonstrate how much he didn't care about the bugs.

xxx

Once they were presentable again, Optimus ambled off to the medbay, and Starscream tried to distract himself with some reading. Those fleshbags had come farther in studying their own species than Cybertron had ever managed to dissect organics.

However, nothing could stop the sinking feeling that something bad was about to happen, so he took a direct way to the Ark's entrance and began listening with his radio.

There was nothing. The patrols returned from their shifts late in the evening, and Optimus came striding out of the ship shortly afterwards.

"You look like you're at a wake."

"There's a good possibility that I am."

"Surely it isn't that bad."

"You don't know Megatron like I do. And I know Warp."

"You standing out here and worrying won't do him any good. You need your recharge, too."

"No."

Optimus looked at him, and the bond told Starscream he was pondering whether to be jealous or not.

"Don't be. I wouldn't be able to calm down, anyway."

"I suppose you're right," Optimus said and sighed. _It's just somewhat depressing that I won't be able to calm you down._

_One day or other. In a vorn or ten._

He felt Optimus's smile. "Good night, then."

Starscream turned. "Night," he said, and received a nuzzle for his efforts.

Optimus walked off then, and Starscream followed him with his mind and offered one last caress before Optimus cycled into recharge.

xxx

It was growing closer to midnight. Maybe Starscream had overreacted, and his vigil was for naught. And then someone tried to hail him via radio, and it was somehow exactly what he had expected.

"Screamer? Please, please, be awake." TC was talking too fast and sounded entirely too distraught.

"I am."

"Thank Primus. Look, the coneheads are on our afterburners, we need some help if Warp's supposed to make it."

Oh, well. He pushed himself off the wall. "Where are you?"

"One hundred miles northeast of headquarters. Heading in your direction."

Really, where else? "On my way." Starscream lifted off, transformed and shot off into the night.

Once he was clear of the volcano, he activated another line. "Skyfire!"

It took until the coastline until the shuttle responded. "Starscream? It's the middle of the night."

"I know. I'm off to confront the coneheads, and I'd like some help."

"You… what?"

"My trine is in trouble. Look, if you won't help me, at least wake Ratchet. I'm sure we'll need him."

Skyfire groaned. "I wish I could believe this was a nightmare. The things I do for you… where are you?"

"On a direct line between the Ark and the Nemesis."

"Oh, jolly good. I'm on my way."

The line was cut, but not even five astroseconds later, there was…

_Starscream? Where are you?_

_Saving my wingmates._

_Please be joking._

_Not about this._

_Someone sounded the Ark's alarm._

_I believe Skyfire was in a hurry._

Optimus offered a mental groan. _At least you thought of calling in back-up. Anyone injured?_

_Apart from Warp?_

_It was a stupid question, I know. I'll go find Ratchet and explain the situation._

_Thank you._

"Screamer? That you on my radar?"

Starscream checked his own. Five blips were approaching, but not as fast as possible. "Yes."

"Hurry."

Starscream grunted in response. What was TC thinking he was doing?

Someone else hailed him, this time over an open channel.

"Unidentified aircraft, you're entering Decepticon territory-"

"You've watched too many human movies, Thrust," Starscream interrupted. "And you sound exactly as self-important as those actors."

"Screamer?"

"My name is Starscream."

"Where did you come from?"

"I'll let you guess three times."

"Nevermind, look, it's good to have you free again and all, but right now, we're hunting your trinemates, because Skywarp attacked Megatron and TC is helping him escape."

"Of course," Starscream said mildly. "I didn't stop to collect my weapons, but I'll see what I can do."

"Good. We'll have them grounded soon, anyway, but a distraction would be useful."

The line was cut, and the distance shrank, and shrank, and then Skyfire made it onto his radar, finally.

"TC?"

"Screamer! Thrust said-"

"I know. It only looks like I'm playing chicken, alright?"

"Oh. Okay."

Then, he finally had a visual. Skywarp was trailing a cloud of unhealthy looking smoke, obscuring the stars in the indigo sky, and his flying looked somewhat erratic. Bright laser fire lit up the night, and the dark sea below, but Warp wasn't even attempting to use his teleportation, merely dodging and not always succeeding, while TC hung back slightly, shielding him and retaliating as well as he managed.

Starscream adjusted his course slightly, so that he was directly in TC's line of flight.

One thousand meters, the radar said.

Warp wobbled slightly, apparently unsure what Starscream was planning.

Six hundred had Dirge waggle his wings at him in greeting, obviously believing to know what Starscream was planning.

Two hundred fifty.

TC wobbled a bit as well.

"Steady, you moron!"

Sixty.

Fifty.

Forty.

Flop over, sink, and feel TC pass by not even an arm's length above you. Shoot Thrust and score hit.

Once Dirge had passed overhead, Starscream did the tightest one eighty he managed and began shooting anew.

Yay. This was flying.

The coneheads scattered at his attack, and Thrust began to swear at him over the comm., calling him every foul name in the galaxy.

He tuned it out and concentrated on his shooting. It was a pity he couldn't use his null ray, but somehow, having his former subordinates sink into the ocean to be crushed by the immense load of water was something he didn't particularly want right now.

Now that they'd broken formation and were slowing down, Starscream contented himself by hunting after Thrust, until finally, he hit something vital, and one of the jet engines stalled in an unholy whine, echoing over the black waves. He had no other choice but limp home, now.

Ramjet was next on the list, while TC had caught on and was targeting Dirge. In the fray, Warp was being forgotten and able to journey on unhindered.

Skyfire was approaching fast, now, ghostly white in the night sky, and he was just the incentive to make the remaining, slightly injured opponents turn tail and run.

"Looks like I missed all the fun," Skyfire said.

"As if you liked fighting. Escort Skywarp, switch to unencrypted, we'll catch up in a moment."

"Aye, sir."

Starscream scoffed at the amused tone. Now to the other loose end. "TC?"

"Yeah. That was some flying."

"Thank you. Are you alright?"

"I- some hits, but nothing that needs immediate attention."

"Good. Switch to 54.8 gigahertz and drop the encryption, I want you to be able to talk to Skyfire. I'll do the same."

"Good. Right."

There was a pause Starscream used to dial back to Skyfire's frequency.

"Did it work?"

"Yes, it did. Hello, TC," Skyfire said, very cautiously. "I've tried to hailed Skywarp…"

"His radio's broken, I think. I kinda just told him to head straight for the Ark and keep going."

"Mindless obedience sometimes does have its perks," Starscream said.

"Yeah. He was too dazed to object."

"Oh. What happened?" Skyfire asked.

Skyfire had, to Starscream's knowledge, met the pair only once, when they'd gotten several orns leave and traveled all the way to Iacon to see Starscream. They had very little in common back then, and Skyfire had made himself scarce after the first evening of sitting on the roof and chatting. Not a brilliant basis, but it was enough to remember their names and be concerned, obviously

"Megatron happened," TC said eventually. "He went into a shouting fit once we were back on the Nemesis, and started on Warp, but Warp was prepared and hit right back, and, well," he lowered his voice, "that's not a good idea when it's Megatron. Megs ordered him to the brig, and I let him out once Rumble got bored with guard duty and I didn't know where else to go…"

"Ratchet will have him repaired in no time," Skyfire said. "And maybe you should come closer so he has a visual on you."

TC sped up so he was slightly in front of Warp, and the mech managed a tired waggle as greeting.

While Skyfire tried some polite small talk with TC, Starscream contacted Optimus.

_We're heading home, now._

_I know. __I listened._ There was a slight pause that let some awe shine through. _I'm impressed. And you've never felt saner to me._

Starscream would have blinked in confusion if he could have.

_No, really. It's as if I had my first good look at the real you underneath all that baggage._

_You seriously need to work on your compliments._

_You should try and let me finish, then. It's not the first time I had a glance, so to speak, and… it's how I know you're the partner I was looking for._

_Hmm-hm._ Starscream still wasn't sure if it was a compliment.

_Don't get worked up over this, please. I'll make it up to you later._

They didn't talk after that. Eventually the coastline appeared in a bright chain of lights, and Portland was a big orange-glowing hub to the right soon after.

Powerglide appeared as an escort twenty miles from the volcano, and they landed to practically every 'bot in the Ark standing outside and watching. Most of them were carrying some weapon or other, and quite a few had the audacity to actually point them at TC or Warp.

Starscream transformed and resolved to ignore them. "Optimus," he nodded at his bondmate, who had taken the front row together with Jazz and Prowl. "Morning, I suppose. Ratchet is in the medbay?"

"After a lot of protesting, yes."

Starscream had the distinctive feeling Optimus wanted to see what he would do. "Good."

He turned to TC, who had also transformed, and was trying to get Warp to do the same by talking to him very softly. If not for the smoke, it would have been rather cute. Starscream approached them so that Warp would get a visual.

"We could always push you to medical, Warp," he said. "But you would still have to transform then."

"It hurts," Warp whined back.

"I know it does. But if you don't transform now, we'll have a problem once you're in stasis. And Ratchet will be faster if you're in root mode."

"Um. I don't think I can walk," he confided in a tone so low Starscream had trouble hearing him.

Well. "You will transform now. And you," he spun around to point at Skyfire, "are going to carry him to medical, and I don't care about how it looks. Now get."

To his immense surprise, they actually listened, Skyfire with much better grace than Warp, who was complaining for the whole experience.

"Thanks," TC said and made to trudge after Skyfire.

He was held up by a rifle in his face.

"You are going to the brig," Ironhide announced.

TC retreated and turned to look at Starscream beseechingly.

As if he held any real power.

_Optimus…_

_Yes?_

_What exactly were your orders in this matter?_

_I was under the impression that both of them would need some medical attention._

Ah. Good. "TC is going to the repair bay, Ironhide. We can discuss the further proceedings once he's actually had time to think about this."

"I'm not taking orders from you upstart."

"You do remember this upstart is bonded to your Prime, yes?"

Ironhide narrowed his optics and set his jaw, adopting a rather mulish expression.

"Therefore, until further notice, my orders are his orders, and vice versa. Do I make myself clear?"

Ironhide held his gaze for a moment before giving in and looking to Optimus for confirmation.

Starscream felt Optimus nod.

Not a clear victory, then, but a step into the right direction.

Starscream walked on and motioned for TC to follow him.


	8. Part 8

8

Prime watched the two Seekers vanish into the Ark and wasn't quite sure whether to be proud, amused or concerned about this new development. It hadn't been the almighty reckoning he'd feared, but it probably hadn't increased Ironhide's respect for Starscream, either.

"All right, people, show's over," Jazz shouted. "Everyone back to their berths or their shifts!"

There was some grumbling as the crowd slowly trickled back into the Ark.

"Was this wise, Optimus?" Prowl asked softly from beside him.

"I'm not sure. He's neither my new second nor is he an ersatz Prime, and yet, ignoring his wishes usually means that my wishes are being ignored, too. It's probably better if he's without official rank."

"That is why you don't press him to take the oath?"

"Among other reasons. He would make an excellent commander, but as of yet, he hasn't shown any ambition in that direction."

"It would be easier for the others if he had a defined rank and powers."

Perhaps Prowl was right. However… "I wasn't looking for a subordinate. I won't deny him a place if he asks for one, but I'm not going to give him one just to appease Ironhide."

"And so we're back to square one. You should think about this. He can't be a neutral and then issue orders to the ranks and expect us to listen, on the off chance he actually did clear it with you."

"I'll talk to him about it," Prime said. As much as Starscream's newfound confidence pleased him, unrest in the army was a hindrance he hoped to avoid. "I'd like a closer look on our guests, now. They sounded docile enough, but that was Starscream's assessment."

"Does he think they will defect?"

"No. But they might become temporary allies. I gather you're coming with?"

Prowl nodded, and Jazz followed them by unspoken agreement.

xxx

In the med bay, things were surprisingly quiet. Ratchet was busy with an ugly, deep hole in Skywarp's side, and didn't even stop to acknowledge the visitors. The injured mech was offline, and how he had managed to fly almost five hundred miles in this condition was beyond Prime.

"We're a pretty tenacious bunch," Starscream informed him from where he was dabbing at Thundercracker with various cleaning solutions.

"So the fly-boy's going to make it?"

"He is, Jazz," Ratchet said. "I'll need a few more hours, and he's going to recharge for most of the day. And now everyone out who doesn't have business here."

"In a moment," Prime promised. "Why did you come here, Thundercracker?"

"Umm. Asylum?"

Prime blinked. "Asylum?" he repeated, and was promptly told he sounded rather dumb by his bondmate.

"Um. Yeah? Megatron's gonna have both our heads if we ever show up near the Decepticons again."

"And that's it?"

Thundercracker seemed to think about it for a moment. "We wouldn't have left if Megatron weren't so deranged. So, no, we won't join your outfit."

Starscream didn't stop working, having expected such an answer.

Prime sighed. "You'd be the first Decepticons seeking asylum here, and I'm afraid the rest of 'my outfit' isn't going to be enthusiastic about the notion. I'll set you up in a secured room until your wingmate is awake, and then Starscream and you can try to find a solution that's actually workable. Starscream, I'm going to contact you as soon as Red Alert has a guest room ready."

"Right. See you later." He looked up and lifted the right corner of his mouth for the tiniest of smiles.

_See you,_ Prime said, and went to seek Red Alert.

xxx

"He's pretty slagged off," TC mused when Optimus and the other two were safe out of med bay.

Starscream stopped poking at the laser burn he'd been working on, and listened to the bond. "Just a little. Megatron's bound to know that I'm free, but didn't return. Also, since Skyfire turned up, he'll guess that we're here. Third, I am in a conflict of interests."

"Yeah. I really thought you'd let him take me to the brig."

"There is no question that you would have deserved it."

"I know." TC sounded rather miserable. "Thanks."

"Whatever." Starscream shook his head and continued to clean the wound. Some paint would be needed later.

"I mean it. At least now I know he's going to make it."

"Don't go all sentimental on me now." Starscream patted TC's back, feeling rather odd.

"I really thought Megatron was going to kill him when he brought out the fusion cannon," TC whispered. It was obvious that he wouldn't leave it alone.

Starscream dumped the cleaning wad and walked around the examination table to sit next to TC. "He wouldn't have killed him that soon. It's not how it works," he explained.

"If not today, then the next time or the one after that, because Warp's not the type to just take it and apologize for whatever Megs thought he did wrong."

"I know." He didn't need a reminder that there was something innately wrong with him.

"Primus." TC began to tremble imperceptibly. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize how perverted we were being until they started making the same dirty jokes about Warp that they made about you…" he trailed off. "We were your wingmates, we should have made the twins shut it and we shouldn't have taken your stories at face value and, I don't know, we should have remembered we were supposed to protect you."

Starscream nodded, not trusting himself to speak. He'd never realized just how much it had hurt until now. They'd abandoned him, and he'd just taken it as evidence that they'd finally seen how pathetic he was.

_Shush,_ Optimus said. _You _know _that none of this was your fault, and I think he finally understands what they did to you._ _You're strong now, you're free to mourn, with or without him._

Sighing, Starscream slid off the table, stood before TC and drew him close for a hug. A hundred thousand vorns and a bit since he hadn't been able to take the Academy anymore and had returned to Vos, and TC had offered a hug and had let him cry himself out, even so he'd pretended he didn't want or need it.

TC started trembling in earnest, then. "I'm sorry, kiddo" he mouthed against Starscream's shoulder, "I'm sorry," over and over and over, like a prayer for absolution.

It wasn't fair to bring out the old nickname, there were too many memories attached to it. "I know," he murmured back eventually.

TC quieted down after that, and eventually he withdrew to look at Starscream with, dare he say, new respect. "You've grown up."

"I'm home," Starscream objected.

On the other end of the bond, he felt Optimus grinning like the sappy idiot he was. _Your brattiness has reduced significantly over the past months,_ he said. _Insofar, he's right. Anyway, Red Alert has rigged up some guest quarters for Thundercracker and Skywarp – room c-14._

_Thank you._

"You alright?" TC waved a hand in front of his face.

"I was talking to Optimus."

"Ah. It looked like you were spaced out."

"I wasn't. I'm to tell you there's quarters ready for you."

TC's optics flitted to Skywarp. "No offense, but I can't leave him yet."

"So we wait," Starscream concluded and returned to sit next to TC.

Ratchet looked up to give them a dark look, but he didn't complain. Maybe he had guessed correctly he was accommodating the Decepticon version of a spouse…

_Or maybe your bondmate was circumspect enough to warn him, _Optimus said. _I gather you won't be home for a while._

_TC is holding it together rather well, considering. I won't make him flip out at me over a few hours of recharge._

_You sound like you need them._

_It's not that._

_If you say so… Night, love._

"You talking to him again?" TC asked, very conveniently.

"Yes. You're rather lucky Optimus is so understanding."

"You know, I don't think I'll get used to you calling him Optimus anytime soon."

"He's my bondmate."

"Yeah. I still don't quite get that, either."

Starscream raised his optic ridges.

"You never seemed the type to go for permanent, that's all. Anyway. He seems to be good for you."

"He is."

"Good."

They watched Ratchet working in silence after that, and sometime around five, he was done and Starscream helped with the clean-up and then escorted TC to his room.

xxx

Prime woke up early, at the usual time. It was rather depressing that sleeping in hadn't been an option since he'd been named Prime. Suppressing a groan, he sat up and raised the lights just a little.

Starscream had come in sometime in the night and collapsed face forward onto the berth, head buried in the pillow.

How this was supposed to be comfortable, Prime had no idea, but Starscream was rather particular about where he put his back for longer amounts of time. He sometimes wondered if Starscream missed being able to curl up on his side, or if Seekers weren't programmed to think about it.

At any rate, Prime sometimes felt deprived of being able to see Starscream's face while he recharged. Tentatively, he reached out a hand and stroked the helm, then down to the lower back and that delicious aft.

_It's too slagging early for you to have dirty thoughts_, Starscream's mind voice mumbled.

Prime leaned down. "You were the one who promised me some," he purred into the nearest audio.

"Gah." Starscream lifted his head slightly and spit out a bit if pillow. "And who am I to deny the owner of the sexiest voice in the galaxy."

"Star… we don't have to."

A hand snuck out and gave him a half-hearted swat against the grill. "First, it's six forty human time. Per definition, there's five hours and twenty minutes of morning left. Second, I'm all for keeping my promises, but I do need to be awake for that." There was some underlying amusement as the very same hand began tracing the ridges of the grill and then dipped into an opening Starscream knew to be particularly sensitive.

Hmm. Prime's engine rumbled in response. "Tease."

Starscream hefted himself up on his elbows. "Well, it is awfully easy to yank your chain." He gave an insolent smirk, but sat and pushed Prime so he would lie back onto the berth.

Not quite in the mood to wait Starscream out, Prime grabbed his shoulders and dragged him down for a kiss. Starscream gave a little indignant squeak at having the initiative taken from him, but subsided quickly and even sighed in contentment as Prime continued his explorations.

However, he did not seem inclined to do anything else.

_Are we in a hurry?_ Starscream asked back. _As I said, there's more than five hours of morning left._

But he did move his hands, drew lazy circles along the panels hiding Prime's dataports, wandering to the windshields, tracing the edges and taking his time. Avoiding all the sweet spots, too.

It was nice, but it didn't seem aimed at getting Prime all hot and bothered, so to speak, and there was some odd vibe from Starscream.

Prime withdrew from the kiss. "We don't have to," he reiterated.

Starscream blinked at him and leaned in to place some feather light kisses along his jaw. Obviously, he wasn't about to explain himself.

Out of sheer desperation, Prime began to target the wings, running his palms along them, slowly.

"Hmm." Starscream smiled crookedly and moved in for a proper kiss. "No rush."

Contrary to that, Starscream's hand found Prime's interface cable, and then, finally, their systems connected.

Starscream's presence entered slowly, like a wanderer hoping for a place to rest after a long journey.

_You're exhausted, _Prime admonished and tightened his hold on Starscream. _The next time you're tired, say so, and I'll let you recharge._

_Primus, you're dense._ Starscream snuggled a little closer. _This is nothing recharge could fix._

Oh. Prime cringed at the sense of how empty Star felt, as if he couldn't summon one single emotion after last night's revelations.

_It's okay. You've made it until now, you're going to be alright. We are going to be alright._ He filled the connection with all the reassurance and love he could summon. _And one day, we'll defeat Megatron and get Cybertron back into working order, and then I'm going to retire and we'll live in a big house somewhere in the suburbs and we'll argue about decorations and have the neighbors over for parties and be disgustingly boring and domestic._ Prime added a mental picture of a white picket fence for good measure, and Starscream chuckled.

_Dork._

_You love me for it and you know it._

Starscream stilled, as if he had to think about it. _Yes,_ he said eventually and let Prime feel the warmth. _Yes, I do._

_I know._ But it felt so good to finally hear it. _I love you, too._

_I know,_ Starscream echoed him smugly, but he did move in for a kiss, need flaring along the connection and making Prime's engine whine from the sheer intensity.

Prime attacked the wings, then, while Starscream went for the antennae, stroking and pinching and finally moving to nip at them, all the while making those wonderful noises and projecting his pleasure right back into the connection.

_Star,_ Prime moaned and arched his back. _I…_

_Let go,_ and those clever fingers at his front grill, teasing the cables and sensors underneath. _Nothing more erotic than seeing you like this,_ and Starscream projected an image to go with it and what it did to him and Prime felt something give and fell over the edge, calling Starscream's name.

xxx

Starscream came to a short while later. Optimus was still out, with a wide, happy smile plastered across his face. Primus that mech was beautiful.

And Starscream had caused that smile, with one little, big admission. It still felt odd in his own head, that name to the feeling he'd been trying to figure out the past orns, the word he'd been dancing around and never quite willing to actually consider.

It was… big, to hand himself over like that. It left him open, vulnerable in a way he'd sworn he would never be again. And yet. Optimus was almost impossible not to trust, big and protective and patient and reliable and generous, always giving and never asking for anything in return.

"I'm not that altruistic," Optimus said and onlined his optics. "I've just been hiding it better than other people."

Starscream nodded, his cheek scratching over the windshield. If that wasn't patience…

"You need to stop blowing sunshine up my tailpipe like that. I'll become insufferable."

As if. "I'll do my best to deflate your ego if that happens."

"You do that. Though Prowl will suffice for today, I believe. We're late."


	9. Part 9

9

If anyone noted Starscream was late, they didn't say. He called in with Skyfire and excused himself from the lab, because looking after TC was more important right now.

Checking in with the med bay revealed Warp to be recharging, as Ratchet had predicted, and checking in with TC revealed a hungry Seeker. Since Optimus was rather adamant taking an enemy to the rec. room wouldn't be advisable, Starscream went and fetched a few cubes.

TC downed two in quick succession, and remembered his few manners for the third.

"Sit down somewhere. You're making me nervous with your hovering."

Since the room was a standard issue staff quarter, with two berths, a few shelves and not much else, Starscream took the other berth – it probably wouldn't see much use anyway.

"Thanks. For everything, you know," TC said.

"I couldn't have stood back and let you two morons die."

"We would've deserved it."

"Don't start guilt tripping again."

TC frowned. "I'll try. It's difficult. I keep thinking I'm the oldest, I should've seen what we were getting into when we joined up and-"

"I said, stop it. We were all adults at the time."

"Barely."

Starscream suppressed a growl. Time to dissuade TC. "What happened after I was captured?"

TC blinked at the non-sequitur, but didn't seem to object too much. "Well, at first Megs kept saying that you were supposed to make it back by yourself, and Warp was made temporary Air Commander. And then an orn passed and the Autobots weren't doing anything, and we figured you would have spilled by then just to get to the fresh air a bit, and Megs got a bit uneasy and tried to start negotiations. He even sent Ravage, but he said he couldn't find you anywhere in the brig. They didn't lock you up long, did they?"

"Five days. Optimus let me out after that, and I took a bit of a vacation to think things over."

"Sounds pretty gullible."

"It would have been." Time to admit something. "We both knew I was going to come back in the end. I just couldn't go from prisoner to bonded like that."

"Yeah." TC nodded and leaned forward. "So, why him?"

xxx

Prime had never realized Starscream could be talkative.

However, Thundercracker and he had been gossiping and reminiscing and comparing notes for three solid hours now, as if to make up for a few years of not talking, and Prime found himself vaguely envious that he had to sit in his office and go through the inevitable paperwork. However, he did sometimes stop to listen and caught Starscream doing something that would have been called gushing in a lesser individual.

It also drove the point home that no one really had shown any interest in these things before, or had not dared to ask such insolent questions. There were only three that would, at any rate, but Prowl had a rather odd sense of propriety sometimes, Jazz seemed determined to make Starscream trust him before the subject was broached, and Ironhide disapproved too much.

And, right now, said three individuals came wandering into his office after a knock that sounded rather ominous.

He offered them chairs only to be refused, and leaned against his desk, arms crossed. "What is it?"

"Two things, actually," Prowl said. "About what we discussed last night…"

"I won't have my authority questioned in front of subordinates again," Ironhide interjected. "You need to decide what he can and what he can't do."

So, now they were teaming up on him? Wonderful. "I know you don't like him, Ironhide."

"Sorry to say, boss," Jazz objected, "'s not about like and dislike. It's just that we need to know where we stand with him, and that we don't really want to discuss this with the wrong people listening."

Prime sighed. "I understand. I didn't have time yet to ponder this or discuss it with Starscream, and I doubt I will have an opportunity to do this today. However, it's not my intention to enable him to show you up or to leave military decisions to him."

"That's what he did last night, though," Ironhide grumbled.

"First, it wasn't his decision to have Thundercracker repaired and heard out. Which you would have known if you had asked me. The whole situation could have been avoided if you hadn't been so adamant on antagonizing him. So, yes, I will lay down some lines, but I do expect you to act more maturely."

He looked at Ironhide until the other gave in with a gruff nod.

"I hope this satisfies your concerns, Prowl?"

"On this matter, yes."

"And the other matter?

"Um." Jazz ducked a little. "As much as I like the Screamer, I don't think it's wise to put him in charge of negotiations with the 'cons."

Prime nodded. "First, don't call him Screamer. Second, he's not in charge of negotiations, he's merely supposed to test the waters, so to speak, to see whether the two would be willing to co-operate. You will be able to offer your input as usual, once these two actually _have_ a position to negotiate about. As far as I gather, they weren't thinking about anything but escape yesterday."

"So it's true, that Megatron was going to kill the teleporter?" Ironhide asked, in fascinated horror.

"Thundercracker was afraid of it, at least. Blaming his Air Commanders for lost battles seems to be an unfortunate habit of Megatron's, and few are as resilient as Starscream when it comes to being shot with a fusion cannon."

Ironhide nodded.

"So, you'll keep us informed?" Prowl asked.

"Once there is information to share. Skywarp is still soundly out of it, and my bondmate is currently catching up on several months' worth of gossip."

Jazz flashed him a grin, realizing the humor of the situation. "Well, have fun listening in."

Prime contented himself to give the insolent 'bot a look. "Thank you. Now. I think it would be wise to have a meeting tonight, to see how far Starscream got with his mediating. Let's say seven thirty?"

xxx

Ratchet radioed Starscream around mid-afternoon, saying Skywarp was awake and wished to see them.

On the off chance Optimus's discussion with his officers had yielded some results other than promises, Starscream cleared it with him and then escorted a jumpy TC to medical.

Warp was not only awake, but sitting upright as well, and he even had one of his goofy grins ready for them. "Long time no see, Screamer. Hey, TC."

TC made a little noise, rushed over to Warp and caught him in a smothering embrace, clinging to him like a drowning person would to a lifeline. Warp looked a little helpless and very much embarrassed at the display, patting TC's back awkwardly and muttering something under his breath.

For all his obvious discomfort at doing so, he had TC calmed down rather fast, and made him sit beside him on the operating table.

Ratchet excused himself to his office and Starscream drew up a stool for himself.

"How are you?" he asked Warp.

"Good as new. Really."

"You know I didn't mean the wound."

Skywarp's grin vanished instantly. "He needs to pay," he spat. "Nobody's humiliating me like that and getting away with it."

TC just nodded along, he was probably a little too shell-shocked still to actually be as angry as Warp was.

Well, at least they were showing healthy reactions to the whole ordeal instead of begging their way back into Megatron's good graces. It was odd, but even after less than three earth months away from the mighty leader, Starscream had trouble remembering what had been driving him to stay around for the abuse.

"He needs to pay, yes," he agreed eventually. "But even if he hadn't proven he was in severe need of rewiring by what he did, he still needs to be gone."

"He does?" Warp cocked his head, and TC looked vaguely interested.

"Because of him we've lost sight of the cause," Starscream explained. "Remind me why we signed up again."

"Um," Warp said, "well, the energon was getting expensive and the empties were starving… because the miners said there wasn't that much energy left, right? And then it turned out it was just a lie so they could make more money. And that slaving ring we never caught because they were bribing half the senators…"

"They were promising to end mass production of mechs, and free education," TC added. He'd once failed to achieve the impossibly high test results you needed for a scholarship, and it probably had stung enough to make him listen to that part of the speeches. "And free choice of profession."

"Freedom, equality and the pursuit of happiness," Starscream cited something he'd found in Optimus's bookshelf. "That's not so different from human ideals…"

"Don't compare us to these idiot squishies, Screamer," Warp said, sounding scandalized.

"Whatever. The point is, we'll never have freedom and equality as long as Megatron is self-declared Emperor of Cybertron."

"Yeah…," TC offered. "I've been having my doubts about that for a while now."

"You did?" Warp asked, sounding surprised.

TC nodded. "Megs can't stand when someone doesn't have the same opinion as he does. So he won't stop fighting until the last Autobot is turned or dead. And then he'll start on the rest of the universe. He'll need soldiers and an economy catering to the war."

"And there goes the promise of no more mass production and free choice of profession," Starscream agreed. "He won't stop until he's got every single being in this universe under his control."

"He can't control everything," Warp protested.

"But he'll try," Starscream said. "And once he doesn't have control anymore, he's totally out of his depth, as the last few years have proven. The Autobots don't have any strategy to speak of, and still they've stopped us time and again."

"Right," Warp said, dangling his legs. "But, let's say we manage to kill him, or the Autobums… bots manage to capture him, who's going to take over? Soundwave's a yes mech deep down, I like my free time and TC's too nice. Thrust won't be able to control the Constructicons, much less these little insects, and Scrapper's lacking the brains. So there's only Shockwave left, but he's on Cybertron."

"Screamer could," TC offered. "You'd just have to spin the story so that it looks like it was a ploy of yours from the get-go. It wouldn't be the first time you tried to get rid of him, and if it looked like you were siding with the Autobots, he's bound to forget whatever sense he has and chase after you. Like with that Nightbird thing."

It sounded plausible, if not for one thing. "I'm bonded to an Autobot. Don't even pretend you'd follow me." Because there was no way he'd lose Optimus over this.

"We would."

"I can't wage war against these people anymore. Anyone following me would have to accept a truce." There was something gaining shape in the back of his mind, however.

Optimus chose that moment to interrupt. _I think I know what you're thinking. It might work._

TC and Warp seemed less impressed. Warp continued to dangle his legs, and TC had assumed his thinking face.

"There's bound to be some 'cons tired of fighting," TC said eventually.

"Maybe," Warp allowed. "But we'd split in two factions." He frowned, obviously displeased with the notion.

"There'd be infighting in any case," Starscream explained, trying to be patient. "Shockwave doesn't like me, and he's held Cybertron for four million years. Megatron is lucky he's loyal. Then there's guys like Thrust or Kickback that would probably think they're ready to take over. There's going to be more than two factions."

TC nodded, and that was apparently enough for Warp to accept the idea. "So, let's say we actually manage to pull this stunt, and there's actually more than three of us left. We negotiate a truce. And then what?"

"The science department here is working on a plan to use solar energy for Cybertron. We'd have to navigate it to a closer orbit – Skyfire suggested a place between Earth and Mars. We wouldn't have to worry about energy for several billion years, until the sun burns out and we'd have to find a new star."

"Mmh. Why didn't anyone think about this before?" TC seemed rather enamored with the idea.

"I don't know. We were probably too busy bashing each other's heads in. So. Once we have Cybertron in an orbit, it will restore the sectors now in stasis. We negotiate a peace, and then we can see about a constitution."

"We had one before, and you know where we ended up," TC said.

"It was pretty bad, as far as constitutions go. I've done some research into the subject." Earth history was definitely interesting. "So has Optimus. We would be able to come to an agreement of sorts."

"He's your bondmate. Of course you would."

"I'd be happy about some qualified input. However, the only remotely suitable for that is Soundwave, because everyone else on the Nemesis is lacking the political knowledge and an education."

"No need to rub it in," Warp growled.

"We joined up as fighters, not as politicians, Warp," Starscream said, trying for an even tone. "Primus knows old Straxus tried with politics."

"And nobody was listening."

"Which gave Megatron the perfect opening to shape the Decepticons in his image. I believe they will be listening now, if only to stop the fighting."

"And you're bonded to the head honcho."

"That, too. So. What do you say?"

Warp scrunched up his face, and TC waggled his head.

"I'll leave you to discuss this, if you want."

"You would?" Warp seemed floored.

"Kid's finally grown up," TC repeated last night's assessment. "We'd appreciate that."

"Sure. Optimus has a meeting planned at 1930 hours local time. I'll escort you to your quarters and drop by around seven with some fuel."

"Sounds like a plan," TC said, and Skywarp nodded.


	10. Part 10

10

The afternoon passed quickly. Needing to keep himself busy with something, Starscream helped Jazz set up the conference room. One side of the table for the Autobots, one for his wing mates, and Starscream at the third side, mediating, as Jazz (and Optimus) put it.

At the promised time, he went to fetch the two miscreants. They ended up discussing a minor point and were almost late for the meeting.

There were a few odd looks from passersby, maybe because Starscream and his trine actually looked to be in a good mood for a change. At any rate, all conversation stopped when they entered the conference room.

"Evening," Starscream drawled. "Please excuse our tardiness, there were some last-minute questions that needed answering."

The answer was the usual mishmash of nods, mumbles and actual greetings. Optimus blinked in a way that meant he was smiling under the mask.

_Evening, love._

_Evening, your Sappiness._ Starscream offered a smile in return to take any potential sting out of the words.

_You're right, this is neither the place nor the time._ Optimus turned to TC and Warp, bid them a good evening and inquired about the injuries and accommodations, perfect host that he was.

When this very Autobot need for small talk had been satisfied, leaving Starscream's poor wing mates rather flustered, Optimus told everyone to find a seat. And, as agreed, TC dragged up the lone chair to the Decepticon side of the table for himself so Starscream could take the seat in the middle, directly opposite of Optimus, who was also the only one not surprised by the arrangement.

"There's been a slight change of plans," Starscream announced. "In light of recent developments, I find myself rather unwilling to give up my status as heir of the Decepticon empire."

"And just why isn't he in the brig yet?" Ironhide asked rhetorically.

"I second that," Red Alert said. "You knew about this, Optimus. Why isn't he in the brig?"

Optimus turned to the offending officers. "You might want to hear him out before you jump to conclusions."

"Thank you," Starscream drawled. "As I said, I am the named heir to the Decepticon empire. And, since Megatron is currently in the process of wrecking my heritage, I'd like to suggest a co-operation. First, we are going to aid you in the capture of Megatron. Second, there will be a peace treaty between my faction and the Autobots. In return, there will be full amnesty for any Decepticon in my faction. And we will negotiate a new constitution for Cybertron."

Optimus smiled under his battle mask, while the others sent him more or less appraising looks. Starscream made himself look back levelly – Megatron hadn't named him heir for nothing.

"To avoid any conflicts of interest, I am willing to renounce any authority I have over the Autobots." Optimus was busy enough without having Ironhide hounding him about that particular issue.

"This sounds… interesting," Optimus said.

Prowl harrumphed.

"I need to discuss this with my officers. We will reconvene for details same time tomorrow," Optimus continued, unfazed. "Meanwhile, our two guests will be allowed free reign of the unrestricted areas of the Ark. If you would excuse us now?"

That was their cue to leave. "Of course. Good evening, gentlemechs. Optimus." _I'll come fetch you if they keep you awake too long._

_See you later then._

_That, too._ Starscream flashed him an insolent grin and motioned for TC and Warp to follow him.

xxx

"He's something else," Jazz said once the Seekers were out of the room.

"To put it mildly," Prowl added.

"By all rights, this should be wracking your logic circuits, Prime," Ratchet grumbled.

"I had a few hours to get used to the idea, and I'm not too disappointed that an ending to this war might be in sight," Prime said.

"It's going to take centuries to achieve true peace again. Not everyone is going to accept Starscream as leader, especially if they find out about his bond to you," Prowl voiced everyone's fears.

"Don't think I don't know that. Or that he doesn't." Prime sighed. "So. I dare say you find it worth a try."

Prowl nodded. "What he suggests sounds a lot like the old Decepticon agenda. Most of those that were around to have met Straxus might remember that they didn't start out as Megatron's pet army."

"He might be lucky and win over Soundwave," Jazz said. "I have word he and Shockwave don't play well together, and the old cassette player followed the, um, Starscream before. Besides, Starscream's demands are pretty mild, as far as demands go. I'd say we go for it."

Prime nodded. "Ironhide?"

"Who's to say he won't try to pull a fast one on us?"

"I do happen to be bonded to him."

"You might as well be faking it only so we treat him better."

"Really. I wasn't aware one could be faking a bond."

"You can't," Ratchet intervened, "and he's not, Ironhide. I know you have a score to settle with that particular Seeker, as do others. But this meeting isn't about war crimes."

Ironhide just glared, his chin set and speaking of mutiny.

"Let him try to make amends," Ratchet said, very softly. "Confront him directly about Kalis some other day. I believe he's added the word 'sorry' to his vocabulary by now."

In any other situation, Prime would have smiled at the comment. But bringing up Kalis was… low. And Prime hadn't even known Starscream had been involved. He'd have to broach that later with his bondmate. "And I believe I overreacted a few times at your concerns." He hadn't even stopped to think the whole quarrel might be personal. "So?"

"I abstain."

"Good. Ratchet?"

xxx

"Star?" Prime asked as they had settled down for the night. "What happened in Kalis?" He had to know.

The clamp on the connection was immediate, and Starscream wasn't bothering to look at Prime. "I was commanding a squad at the time. Three trines, that is. We were ordered in to do structural damage. Heavy bombardment. I didn't pay much attention to the whole situation, because I had my hands full with Ramjet's old trine. The commander was constantly challenging me, undermining my authority. I didn't realize the ground troops had locked a few thousand neutrals in, and we probably didn't even get that supposed Autobot spy."

"And that's it?" How could he be anything else but appalled by that almost bored tone.

"That's the facts. I had a bad case of hero worship back then. I didn't question orders."

"Hmm." It was hard, to reconcile that mech of the story with his Starscream of the razor-sharp, rebellious mind and the sweet little smiles.

"I've done a lot of things over the vorns," Starscream said. "Things I'm not proud of."

"Of course. Will you open the bond for me?"

"You'll make me think about it," Starscream whispered. "And I don't want to."

Ah. "You can't live forever with those things in neat little boxes in your mind. It will just haunt you if you don't deal with it."

"I don't want to," Starscream reiterated.

"I need to know you regret it. You probably killed several hundred innocents that day, and I can't live with someone who doesn't regret such an act of mindless cruelty."

Starscream gave a bark of laughter. "Sometimes I hope for immortality, so that I won't have to face the gods over all that I've done."

"Shh." Prime didn't know what else to do, so he carefully began stroking that dark helm. "Open the bond, please."

With a small sigh, Starscream did, and the jumbled assault of memories began, all those things Starscream wasn't proud of – because calling it guilt, calling it regret would have been entirely too soft, too Autobot – countless faces, some clear from memory, some mere wisps of imagination, clamoring for retribution, and a few redeeming moments here and there, Starscream throwing up after his first kill when no one was looking, wondering if Stormwind, who'd deserted to be with a groundling in Kalis, had made it.

_Make it stop,_ Starscream pleaded.

_I can't. A very wise mech told me once that sometimes, you have to forgive yourself before you can ask someone else for forgiveness. And it's not in my power to offer absolution. _All he could do was to accept this as a part of Starscream and work with it. With the connection so wide open, he wouldn't even dare judge.

Prime filled the bond with memories of Alpha Trion, so that Starscream had something to concentrate on. _… feel the ground under you, how steady it is. How solid it is. Feel every part of you that's touching the ground. It's holding you, it's carrying you. Feel yourself being carried._

Starscream sighed again. _You are carrying me, not the ground… better now._

However, it took several breems until Starscream's mind quieted down enough to let him recharge.

Prime lay in the darkness for a while, listening to the air in Starscream's vents. It was such a miracle, how Starscream made himself vulnerable to Prime, that he doubted he would ever get used to it. Loving Starscream was maybe a crime in someone else's eyes, but denying him when he so obviously needed would have been a much bigger sin.

He was healing now, slowly but surely, and the eventual outcome filled Prime with equal parts anticipation and dread. He longed to see what Starscream would be like, and yet, if he didn't need him anymore… Prime sighed and chased that selfish thought off.

Things would turn out all right, what with Starscream's lucky charm now working. He shuttered his optics and initiated his own recharge cycle.

xxx

The next days passed in a blur of activity, and somehow most of it consisted of meetings – perfecting tactics, planning for all eventualities, while working out a peace treaty simultaneously. Free time became something of a rare commodity, and one evening, Jazz complained to Starscream that Prowl wasn't leaving his office anymore, and that he was really considering threatening the mech at gunpoint to get some.

Fortunately, Megatron's part of the army was surprisingly quiet. Indubitably he was plotting the coup of the vorn to have his revenge, but Starscream was determined he wouldn't let him get that far.

However, the Autobots were reluctant to act without having all the conditions written down, and, while it was torture to sit through the meetings, discussing semantics until everyone was satisfied, he owed it to his future underlings to be as concentrated and diligent as possible.

Finally, after almost an orn of arguing, they had a document, and signed it in the rec. room for every bot on base to see.

Starscream had had Warp paint new Decepticon decals on his wings for the occasion.

While most of the soldiers still seemed unsure about this turn of events, it didn't stop them to turn the gathering into a party once the formalities were over.

And it so happened that Jazz came ambling over to Starscream and his trine, bearing high grade. Starscream refused, to the knowing grins of every mech at the table.

"You actually got a chance to see him drunk?" asked TC, knowing full well Starscream usually didn't touch the stuff.

"Yeah," Jazz grinned right at Starscream, telling him the glare would be ignored. "Small disagreement with Prime, and since I knew what was going on, poor unsuspecting me made him pass out on my couch."

"Making friends fast," Warp mused.

"I wouldn't call us friends," Starscream said.

"We're more of a self-help group," Jazz agreed.

Starscream fought a smile.

"Right," TC said.

"We're bonded to the two most stubborn workaholics on this ship," Jazz elaborated and pointed over his shoulder to where Optimus and Prowl were talking.

"You and him?" Skywarp was frowning. "No way."

"Yes way. If no one had told us we were a mismatch, we'd never have stuck together long enough to bond," Jazz said. "So what about you two?"

"What about us?" TC narrowed his optics.

"Well, you're together, though you aren't really obvious."

Considering half the Nemesis was still thinking the relationship a rumor, that was some deduction. "Being obvious can be unhealthy," Starscream explained.

"Right," Jazz said. "So, you two aren't bonded?"

"No," Warp said, sounding rather offended, as if he'd been accused of watching romantic comedies in his free time.

"'s not for sissies," Jazz drawled. "Especially when your mate is an insensitive jerk."

TC flinched.

Warp narrowed his eyes. "Are you insulting me?"

"_Were_ you insulting Starscream and me?"

Warp's gaze flickered to Starscream and showed the vaguest beginnings of guilt.

"That was low," Starscream told Jazz. "He owes me."

"I gathered. So, how did you all meet?"

The conversation was rather easy after that.

Jazz left for a refill once, and Starscream commed him. "Why are you talking to us?"

"If I know one thing about you, it's that you're picky with who you trust. So I just went out on a limb to have a look at those two. Skywarp's a bit daft, but… they'll probably be loyal after that little scare."

Right.

They talked some more after that, until Starscream saw Ironhide leaving, and noticed Optimus looking at the retreating back. The attitude had gotten a little better, but he and Optimus still weren't talking, and from experience, Starscream knew it hurt when your friends were basically ignoring you.

So he excused himself, following the red mech outside.

_Are you sure?_ Optimus asked.

_He seems to be in a rather good mood,_ Starscream said, and he'd had quite enough of Optimus moping. "Ironhide," he called out once they'd both entered a deserted corridor.

The red mech turned, his shoulders looking rather stiff. "What is it?"

"Were you at Kalis?"

Ironhide narrowed his optics in suspicion. "Why do you want to know?"

"Optimus overheard you and Ratchet talking about it. I want to know just what kind of grudge I'm dealing with."

"Why the sudden interest in my feelings?"

"Optimus is rather upset you're avoiding him."

"Don't tell me you're doing it for him."

"I'm bonded to him. I'm entitled to be selfless once in a while because of it."

"Right."

Starscream cocked his head. "It doesn't look like you're ready to give up that grudge of yours."

"It doesn't look like you're ready to apologize."

"Would it help? I don't know yet for what I would be apologizing. I can only say that people I knew were killed that day, and I'll forever regret that I didn't pay enough attention to the memos." It wouldn't have changed anything at the time, because a lowly squad commander didn't get to offer tactical input, and he wouldn't have protested enough to be heard, but he knew he would have protested, and that would have made a difference, somehow.

Ironhide looked at him for a long time, assessing his sincerity, maybe, and nodded. "I'll speak with Optimus," he said.

Well, it was better than nothing. "Night, then."

Ironhide tipped his head in return and took off down the corridor.

xxx

"That was a very brave thing you did," Optimus whispered into his audio when he finally came back from the party, pride and something else shining through. It was late, and Starscream had lain down, but had found himself unable to recharge.

"He was hurting you," Starscream muttered into the pillow.

"I don't think he did that intentionally."

Starscream scoffed. "You're too gullible. Maybe he's figured out we aren't sparkbonded? He suggested as much. And if that's the case, maybe he was trying to get rid of me by giving you the silent treatment."

"Perhaps," Optimus allowed and curled up next to him, one arm sneaking under his wing and lightly touching his side. "I didn't think you would be doing something about this so soon." There it was again. "You've come quite a long way."

He had, hadn't he. "Thanks to you."

"You did that all yourself. I was merely nudging you along a little."

And again there was that strange vibe. Sadness? And a fear of losing him, maybe. Interesting. "Don't sell yourself short," Starscream said, unsure how to explain how Optimus's steady, quiet support had changed things, and that he wasn't ready to give it up anytime soon. "You've got my back."

"Always," Optimus promised. "And it's nice to know that you've got mine."

"Well, you can use the extra brains."

Optimus chuckled. "Don't I know that, Master Nitpicker." _I love you._

_I love you, too._


	11. Part 11

First off, I know I've kept a handful of you waiting - sorry for the delay, but I was too tired to edit yesterday.

So here's the last part of this that actually contains plot. (Last up will be an epilogue.) I hope you found it worth sticking around for. I'd also like to thank those that actually did stick around, especially my three most valiant reviewers.

* * *

11

Two days after the very historic event in the rec. room – though most people seemed to remember the ensuing drunken antics more than that little detail – they packed their gear into Skyfire to set their trap.

They'd found a bit of desert that could withstand a little redecorating, and, under the watchful optics of the twins and Bluestreak, the science and tech department began to set up what would look like a Space Bridge. Starscream had come with because he was to be decoy.

To the old buckethead's credit, it took less than an hour for Laserbeak to show up.

"We've got company," Sideswipe announced over the comm. "Start acting."

"You know, it's really good we finally managed to contact Ultra Magnus," Wheeljack said happily.

Starscream made a noncommittal noise.

"I didn't grasp there were Autobots besides us until we did," Skyfire mused, taking the whole thing into an unexpected direction.

"If there weren't, Shockwave would have been bored enough to try and usurp Megatron," Starscream said. Raising some doubt was never out of place.

"That may be so. I'll sure be pleased to have satisfactory resources at my disposal once again," Perceptor offered primly.

"Once we've managed to conquer Iacon and rebuilt the Academy, you mean? That's a ways off," Wheeljack said.

"Well, someone has to consider the long-term implications."

"Long-term, the universe will die from entropy," Starscream offered.

"Haha." Perceptor was less than amused. "One wonders why you even bother then."

"Maybe I've embraced Jesus Christ as my savior and believe in immortal souls and redemption now."

"Given your past that would be unwise."

Arguing with Perceptor was fun. "Good thing that I haven't, then."

"Maybe you should try to find one of those vampire things and ask it to bite you," Wheeljack interjected.

"A what?"

They continued their friendly banter with the occasional human pop culture reference from Wheeljack well after Laserbeak was gone.

Another hour later, a swarm of black dots appeared at the western horizon. Judging by the number, Megatron had brought absolutely everyone, supposedly to state an example.

_That's not good,_ Optimus agreed to the assessment. _We'll be there in a breem._

A breem was long when you were in battle.

"Everyone, take cover," Starscream ordered. "Reinforcement is on the way, so no stupid heroics."

It took a death glare and some unfriendly laser shots zipping into their general direction to make the twins comply.

"What about following your own order?" Skyfire asked via comm.

Starscream just raised his chin in response. This was his fight, something that had been a long time coming.

Megatron seemed to have the same sense of foreboding, he landed in a safe distance to Starscream, while the rest of the army alighted on the surrounding hills, as if this were an impromptu arena. Consequently, no one fired a single shot at the Autobots that had been made unwilling extras.

"Starscream!" Megatron bellowed in the exact same tone that he always used before dishing out some kind of punishment.

Starscream forced himself not to retreat, not even a step, although something inside him cringed and wanted to curl up into a ball until it was over.

"Not hiding behind anyone today, traitor?"

These confrontations always lacked originality. They'd trade a few insults, until Megatron had enough, but no more. They were both adults. "I've always wondered why you made me your second even though you think so little of me."

Megatron narrowed his optics to angry orange slits. "I was right to mistrust you, don't you think? How do you even dare to wear my colors anymore."

Starscream squared his shoulders. He was not the traitor here. "Our colors. The freedom and glory of Cybertron, remember?" Somehow, Megatron had to understand what this was about. "This war could have ended a long time ago, and we all cold be enjoying this freedom we fought for, but you're too bent on ruling the universe to even remember half of the promises you made."

Megatron roared, as if he had no words left to defend himself, angrier than Starscream remembered him being, ever, optics shining like the fires in the Pits. He stormed at Starscream, obviously too angry toeven remember the fusion cannon - angry enough to actually kill and make it close and personal and make Starscream suffer as much as possible. Each of Megatron's steps created a miniature earthquake, reverberating to Starscream's very core. He'd never wanted things to come to this.

Time seemed to stretch to infinity as Starscream braced himself for the impact. Optimus would be here soon and he could survive a minute or two, until Optimus distracted Megatron enough to make him forget about Starscream…

…_Not hiding behind anyone today, traitor?_

No. No one besides Megatron called him a coward, called him weak, called him a traitor.

He stared right into Megatron's grimace of pure rage, so far from what he'd once admired, and everything came together, was thrown into such a clear focus that it almost hurt his optics, and everything was so eerily calm as he realized what he had to do.

Starscream raised his weapons and fired, point blank.

The silence after the shots was deafening.

After the dust had settled somewhat, Starscream cautiously approached Megatron's still, smoking form, and knelt down beside his fallen leader. The optics were a dull gray now, and a quick scan told him that he'd hit the spark with a cluster bomb.

Dead.

The odd calm clearness receded to make way to an entirely different feeling, a heaviness so intense that it seemed to drag his whole being to the ground, seemed to pull at his innards to make them join the planet's core.

It was wrong, he'd never wanted this, all he'd wanted was a leader worth following, was for his talents to be acknowledged, was, oh, he didn't know… once, he'd harbored this totally idiotic hope that Megatron would make it official, adopt him, perhaps, but instead he'd been treated like a wayward sparkling, as if even this secret hope had been discovered, his hidden weakness found and exploited for Megatron's own sick pleasure.

He'd surely never wanted Megatron dead. But… he'd never quite been able to gather up his courage and stay calm enough to make Megatron understand, and Megatron had never quite been able to let go of his pride and listen.

_Starscream…_ Optimus said, sounding dumbfounded. _You killed him._

_You watched?_

_Yes… I thought you'd nullify him._

_So did I. Not the first time I lost it around him._

_I should be angry at you, for ignoring the plan and the treaty._

Starscream bowed his head. _It would be nothing less than I deserve._ He'd wanted to nullify Megatron, really he had, in this stupid belief that if Megatron just listened, he'd see sense and they could go back to where they had started out, the proud teacher and his brilliant pupil.

_He wouldn't have listened, love, and he wouldn't be proud of someone who was able to outsmart him,_ Optimus said.

_I know._ It had been an illusion, something to hang on to when he woke up in medbay and remembered what had brought him there. But this… parent, yes, that was it, parent, naïve as it may sound, had died a long time ago, and somehow, it was only consequent to have killed the evil impostor that had taken his place.

_Star, love, I know you're grieving, and I'd hold you right now if it wouldn't present the totally wrong image. Can you keep it together until tonight? Please? There are several dozen Decepticons here that need some kind of direction, now._

Starscream shook is head, touched that silvery forehead in respect and stood up. They still were staring at him, and he looked back in return, finding optics wide with disbelief and confusion. He turned around, finding the Autobots on his back, quiet, waiting. He nodded his head in Optimus's direction and turned to face his future underlings once more.

"The plan was for the Autobots to take him prisoner," Starscream announced, trying to ignore that his voice wasn't really made for big speeches. "I wasn't aware he wanted me dead that badly."

"I believe most of you remember what we once were. We set out to fight for a better life, and all we managed was to nearly destroy our homeworld. My trine and I have struck a deal with the Autobots to revive Cybertron and write a new constitution. Anyone who is still interested in freedom and equality may follow me. You'll be granted full amnesty. Anyone more intent on ruling the universe has precisely twenty four human hours to leave this planet. We will not tolerate stragglers."

There was a nearly completed shuttle in the Nemesis, if memory served him right; they'd be able to use it for two, three runs until the ultimatum ran out.

Not surprisingly, it was Soundwave who moved first, ignoring Starscream and crouching down near Megatron instead. The big stoic mech stared at his dead commander for a while, then looked up at Starscream.

"I wasn't consciously looking to kill him," Starscream said quietly. "But I suppose I just couldn't take it anymore. And you should have seen his face."

"Objective: slow death," Soundwave confirmed.

"I know." He crouched down, too, to be at optic level. The next part was crucial for his success. "Are you aware yet that I am bonded to Optimus Prime?"

Soundwave actually tilted his head. It was probably the first impulsive thing Starscream had seen Soundwave do. "Implication: corruption."

Optimus was bristling in the back of his mind. Starscream smirked. "I've had some time to watch them, examine them. Most of them come from fairly… normal, sheltered backgrounds. Most of them haven't really thought about why most of us ended up on the sides we are on. We need to make them think. Optimus isn't that adamant on restoring the old structures, so he's more bound to listen to me than the other way round. He doesn't have much of an ingrained mission besides peace, and 'freedom is the right of every sentient being' – You may have a look at my mind if that will put you at ease." Because he needed Soundwave.

Most people found the guy creepy, being so extremely reserved, but they also trusted that Soundwave had the most level head of the three commanders. Some might even respect him, and there was no question that his cassettes adored him.

"Conclusion: strong will to fight. Conclusion: saner than usual," Soundwave said eventually, and maybe there was a tinge of humor in there somewhere.

"So I've been told. He wasn't really doing me much good."

"No."

Soundwave moved to kneel, and over the dead body of their old leader, he pressed a hand to his chest and bowed to Starscream, pledging his loyalty without words.

"Thank you," Starscream said, feeling a pleased smile tugging at his lips, "but this kind of theatrics isn't quite needed anymore. You may stand."

Together, they rose.

Others came trickling in, first TC and Warp to pay their respects to Megatron, then the cassette twins.

"Didn't think you had the ball bearings for it," Rumble said and grinned up at Starscream insolently.

Starscream grabbed TC's arm, he really didn't need protecting from the midget's big mouth. "You're very lucky I need to keep myself on you creator's good side. However, I'd advise you to emulate him a little in terms of talkativeness. Or lack thereof."

Rumble made a face, but stayed quiet, miraculously enough.

The next ones in were the Constructicons, which was a surprise, since they were too young to remember the Decepticon origins. However, it made kind of sense, since their primary purpose was construction and Cybertron needed a rather great amount of that right now.

Eventually, the only ones missing were the Coneheads and those pesky bugs, but since the latter hadn't turned up in the first place, they couldn't know Megatron was dead – a fact they would probably rejoice greatly.

Starscream did a lot of talking, answering questions of how and why, nearly creating a mutiny when the little tidbit about the bond was revealed to the general public – until Soundwave stepped in and announced he'd known all along, and it was the Autobots who should worry.

As if on cue, Optimus came ambling up to them, to shake hands with Soundwave as new second of the Decepticons and have a look at the various sub-commanders. He managed to put them at ease around him – he did that to nearly everyone, it was really fascinating.

"I'll leave you to clean up, then," Optimus said. "Is there some kind of appropriate mourning period?"

"The usual orn so everyone can pay their respects. He didn't believe in anything, as far as I'm aware of." And Starscream had killed him, this mech of no faith… "We'll find a sarcophagus and entomb him once we have Cybertron back. It wouldn't do to have him reused."

"Of course. Do I see you tonight?"

"Probably," Starscream said. _I need to return to the Nemesis for a bit. There's much to do. You know how it is, being a commander._

_I know. _Optimus squeezed his upper arm once and was off.

xxx

It was late when Starscream returned to the Ark, but at least he'd made it before midnight.

They'd laid Megatron out in the mess hall after cleaning him up, and after an hour or so of watching a steady stream of people come in, stare at him and walk off, as if it hadn't quite sunk in yet, Soundwave came to fetch Starscream and they went over some necessary formalities together, first dissecting the peace treaty, which didn't take too long, because Soundwave was actually quite pleased with it, second discussing necessary promotions, third contacting Shockwave with the bad news.

As expected, he glibly promised to think about the offer. Starscream thanked him as insincerely, because he knew Shockwave had always seen himself as heir, and he and Soundwave had some quarrel over the status of the cassettes that was several thousand vorns old.

More stuff came up – Megatron had hated paperwork, and Soundwave, after doing all of it for the last three months, expected Starscream to shoulder his fair share of it. Last was the ever increasing energy problem, and that was the only reason Starscream was able to leave at a halfway sane time.

Optimus was awake and reading when he finally arrived at their quarters.

"Evening, love."

"Evening." Starscream collected some energon from the dispenser, suddenly realizing it for the luxury it was, and plopped down on the armrest next to Optimus. "Our energy situation is depressing enough to commit suicide."

"No jokes about that, please." Optimus came across the link as positively shocked.

"Right. We either need material for a few turbines, quickly – to make use of the tides," Starscream explained at the puzzled look. "They cause currents in the sea and we could use that for power. We can hardly rob a foundry anymore. Or we move. This volcano here is producing more than enough heat to keep all of us comfortable, but I doubt your bots want us here."

Optimus reached out and caressed his arm. "We could built something – they all need to get used to each other sooner or later anyway. We'd have to ask the humans for permission, but I doubt they would object much. Their various authorities were rather pleasantly surprised at how the situation resolved itself. They asked to talk to you."

_Oh, yay_. Starscream downed his energon.

"They're not that bad. Now, how are you?"

"Stressed. I know why Warp doesn't want to do it."

Optimus sighed and snaked an arm around Starscream's waist. "You killed Megatron today. And I've tried very hard to be appalled or angry about it, but I don't seem to manage. You really liked him at one time, didn't you?"

Starscream looked at the wall. "I told you, it was hero worship. I… he was everything I wasn't, and I wanted nothing more than to be a little more like him."

"I'm glad you didn't manage that."

"I worked like mad so that he'd notice me, and once he did, I worked even more. I wanted him to be proud." And needy little Starscream hadn't even realized when that had been turned against him.

"Shhh." A hand came up to take the empty cube from him, and the other tugged at his hips until he complied and sat in Optimus's lap, straddling him as usual. Optimus wound careful arms around him and made Starscream rest his head on his shoulder. "He should have been proud about such devotion."

Should have, would have. Primus, he'd been such an idiot.

"No, you weren't. He shouldn't have done what he did, and you have every right to be angry."

It didn't help anymore to be angry now, did it? Megatron was dead, dead and every chance of Starscream's anger changing things was gone forever, and it was all his fault.

Optimus rocked him, whispering nonsense into his audios and swamping him in understanding until the shaking stopped and Starscream pulled himself together.

"Why do you even put up with all this slag from me?"

"Well, you do put up with my slag, as well." Optimus put a soft finger under Starscream's chin to tilt it upwards, and began to kiss him.

xxx

Starscream came to quickly, afterwards, but Optimus was still out of it. There was a small pang of guilt somewhere, Optimus had had a day that had been almost as bad as Starscream's, and he shouldn't have stayed up to wait. Carefully, Starscream stroked Optimus's helm so not to disturb him, yet eventually, Optimus's systems rebooted and he blinked at Starscream groggily.

"Go back to sleep."

"Mhh. Not yet. Star?"

"Yes?"

"If I told you I wanted to sparkbond with you, would you be very scared?"

What?

_You may forget about it._ Now he was hurt, great.

_No. Wait. Yes, I do want you as my spark mate, once the situation is halfway stable. _If Starscream thought about it, the idea filled him with a deep satisfaction and… joy. Someone wanted him, of all people, that close, and he couldn't imagine not wanting Optimus with him, always.

Optimus was apparently equally satisfied with his answer. _Good. I love you._

_As you keep telling me. _He hefted himself up to nuzzle Optimus's cheek._ Now go into recharge._


	12. Epilogue

So, here goes the epilogue. It's been fun posting for you, I hope the 200+ of you had fun reading.

I currently have no intention to write more of this, or even ideas what to write about.

The narrator of this bit appears courtesy of the shadowcat. Thanks!

* * *

Epilogue – twenty years later

It would have been an absolute faux pas not to turn up, so Rob Moss was minus one free evening.

No, really. Or relatively, at least, because being President of the United States of America wasn't something you could leave on a hook by the door like any other job.

But, thanks to some cosmic sick humor, he had to listen to a bunch of officials make speeches and do a bit of offering platitudes himself.

It did not help that two of the other four were giant alien robots.

It wasn't Rob's first time to the Cybertronian embassy in New York City, but he'd sure never seen quite as many of those robots about, and it was fairly creepy how they sat on their big chairs in the back of the room, humming and hissing quietly like very silent cars idling. They'd made an interesting feature on TV when he was younger, and his teenaged daughters had giggled over the Prime's voice for a while, until they'd met the 28 foot reality.

Truth was, Rob Moss wasn't really sure he liked to have them in the same solar system with humanity, much less the next planet over, given that they currently only had an uneasy cease-fire with those Kaon Decepticons that didn't want the war to end. The exact details were never elaborated on; apparently, the then Decepticon Air commander was instigator of the peace process – by killing his commanding officer, no less.

Currently, said robot by the name of Starscream sat next to Prime, looking possibly more bored than Rob's daughters at family reunions. Rob wasn't exactly sure why Prime had brought him; he'd gathered that the robot now was the Cybertronian equivalent of the Democratic Party leader.

Eventually, everyone was done offering the usual trite stuff about love, peace and happiness and how good relations had become since the embassy had been established ten years ago.

To everyone's luck, Starscream hadn't insisted on speaking as well, because what little Rob knew of the robot's voice… suffice it to say it would have fit a cartoon character better than some 25 foot jet.

The mingling and sipping champagne part began then, and Rob spent two hours making polite small talk to his fellow VIPs. He talked to Prime for a little and was introduced to the "Cybertronian High Command", as it was put, including some stiff looking guy with doors for wings, Prowl, who was Prime's second in command, a robot with a visor sprouting slang named Jazz, Starscream and the intelligence coordinator, Soundwave.

The latter was possibly the creepiest individual Rob had ever met. He had no inflection when he spoke, hid his face behind a visor and a mask, and had absolutely no body language. There was no way to know what he thought about anything or if he even had emotions and opinions at all. The others, at least, had expressive faces, and you could believe they were well and truly alive, not some AI pulling a fast one.

Eventually, this, too passed, and everyone was ushered outside for some fireworks 'Cybertronian style'.

Granted, it let even the most elaborate Independence Day fireworks pale in comparison, and in the end, they had a glittering representation of Earth floating in the night sky that seemed to defy wind, gravity and logic.

Rob looked away long enough to find almost everyone still awed and getting a crick in their necks, even…

Oh.

There was Starscream, and Prime stood behind him, arms around his waist and chin resting on the shoulder thingie Starscream had. Like some teenaged couple.

Rob was definitely too surprised to be disgusted.

"Romeo'n'Juliet with a happy ending," a low voice next to Rob said.

He jumped, only to look into a glowing blue visor. This one was Jazz. "But. They're both males."

Jazz smirked. "Nope. They're both Cybertronians. We only come in one variety, parts wise, you see. Much like bacteria."

Rob nodded, though he really didn't quite…

"Maybe it's a not so subtle hint," Jazz continued. "About what is acceptable. I notice Mirage's been playing ambassador for the past ten years here, and you people still have no idea he's bonded."

That one, too? "Bonded?" It sounded… kinky.

"Soul mates for you. But, you know, I think you should stop ogling them…"

As if on cue, there was a flashlight from a camera, and Starscream wriggled out of Prime's grasp. It didn't help much, the reporter that had taken the picture made a bee line for them, Dictaphone out and at the ready.

He was denied, however, and it was just as well the entire thing was winding down, as quite a few people hadn't seen what was going on, and needed to be filled in.

The picture made the front pages the next morning, and Rob had to give it to his wife – they did look quite in love.


End file.
